Wish Upon A Star
by MageofDarkness
Summary: NOT your average Highschool AU fic! SessRin, JaBan, and many more. Rin is an average student... Except for the fact that she's been mute for 2 years. Sess is the perfect student who thinks he has no time for girls. What happens when paths cross? (Fin!)
1. Chapter 1

[AN]Finally! The long awaited (yeah, right) Wish Upon a Star! This is NOT your average highschool AU fic, trust me. This mostly revolves around Sess/Rin and their developing relationship. Other pairings include Ja/Ban; Inu/Kag; San/Mir; Shippo/Souten; Kouga/Ayame; and more...  
  
Kagura is the school bitch instead of Kikyo so you know, but she has reasons... I guess I cant make any character PURE evil... Except maybe Naraku... Meh, read on, onegai?[/AN]  
  
A senior pushed through the crowd of younger students, geography text and notebook clutched in his hands. He grumbled a bit and finally made it to his locker near the science lab. "Thank Kami-sama its Friday..." He muttered, placing his books in the tiny metal locker.   
  
"Oi! Sesshoumaru!" A senior with dark hair pulled into a ponytail and blue eyes made his way to Sesshoumaru, shoving a few 8th graders out of the way. Sesshoumaru's golden eyes glanced down at Kouga's t-shirt: black, with a pack of wolves running across the front. Kouga was one of his closest friends, even if he was kind of annoying.  
  
"Hey Kouga..." He said, nodding to the other.   
  
"Yo Sess! I think I may have found another school activity you can do!" Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "Dont worry, it seems easy. All you have to do is give a month's worth of counseling or tutoring to a special needs student."  
  
"I dont think--" Sess started, running his fingers through his long silver hair.  
  
"It'd look good on your college application." Kouga interrupted with a smirk. Sesshoumaru wanted to get into a good college and just about every one knew it.  
  
Sess seriously considered this fact. He already had fencing, art club, drama, Japanese, band, and track to add to his college application, not to mention he was taking every advanced course offered at Shikon High. But maybe this student-to-student counseling thing would look good on the application. It would show he was interested in helping others.  
  
"Okay, I'll do it. Where do I sign up?" The silver-haired senior said finally.  
  
"Already signed ya up!" Kouga grinned impishly and Sess rolled his eyes. "And there are benefits; you get 6th period off three days a week."  
  
"6th period? Well thats nice..." Sess had band 6th period. Oh how he HATED band! Mr. Parham, the instructor, was so annoying!  
  
"Yeah, well anyway you're to report to Ms. Takahashi's classroom 6th period and she'll pair you up with a special needs student for the next month."  
  
"Thanks Kouga." Sess said, taking out his sheet music and trumpet case and going off to class.  
  
~*~  
  
Rin sat in the Special Needs classroom, staring at the chalkboard as the teacher helped some other kids with their homework. Rin had already finished hers. In fact, she was only in here because none of the other teachers knew sign language.  
  
Seeing Rin was bored, the teacher aide, a pale college student with white hair, approached her. "Hi Rin," She said softly. The dark-haired student blinked honey brown eyes and signed a 'hello'.  
  
"Nothin to do?" Ms. Miyazaki, or Kanna as she liked to be called, asked her. Rin shook her head. "I have something for you."  
  
*What?* Rin signed. Kanna brought out a small book, covered in white silk and trimmed with sky blue ribbon. With it was a fancy white pen with blue ink.  
  
"Here, its a diary. You dont talk, and you hardly ever even sign. I know you have lots of thoughts built up inside you, you can write them in here." Kanna smiled; Rin had always been her favorite student.  
  
*Thank you very much, Kanna* Rin signed, fingers flying excitedly as she grinned. Kanna nodded to her and went to help some other students.  
  
Rin opened the small book to the first sheet and took the pen in her hand. Placing pen to paper, she began to write.  
  
~Dear Diary,  
  
Hello, my name is Higurashi Rin. You're such a pretty little book, with that white silk and blue ribbon... Kanna is so thoughtful. Well, I guess i'm supposed to write my thoughts in here. First you might want to know a little about me though. I'm mute. Well, I *can* talk in the sense that my vocal chords are perfectly in tact, but I dont think i can talk. I havent spoken in 2 years, not one word. Because... 2 years ago, I witnessed my cousin Kikyo being killed. Everyone believes it was suicide, but I know better. I know who killed my cousin. Thats enough about that...   
  
I have an older sister named Kagome and a little brother named Souta. There's also my crazy grandfather and my mom. Daddy left us when I was still little. Oh, Kagome's boyfriend Inuyasha just walked into the classroom. He's handing a note to Ms Takahashi. Thats right, Inuyasha is an office aide this hour. I wave to him a bit and he sends a smile in my direction.  
  
He's always so nice to Kagome and me and the rest of our family. I have seen him get in a few fights though... Oops, Ms. Takahashi has an announcement to make. More later.  
  
Love, Rin~  
  
Mrs. Takahashi stood at the head of the classroom as Rin closed her new diary and laid down the pen.  
  
"Class," The middle-aged woman started. "Monday we start a Student-to-Student counseling and tutoring program. Seniors who signed up will be coming during 6th period and I'll be pairing you off. If things dont work out, the senior can quit and you dont have to do the program any more, but I want everyone to at least give it a chance!"  
  
There were a few groans from the punks in the back. The rest of the class seemed pretty unenthusiastic too.  
  
'Great, just great.' Rin thought to herself. 'Some person I dont even know is going to come and most likely try to get me to speak again. I dread Monday...'  
  
~*~  
  
Meanwhile, in the band room, as Mr. Parham worked with the flutes seperately, Sesshoumaru thought to himself, fiddling with the instrument in his lap.  
  
'What have I gotten myself into?! What if I have to put up with someone totally horrible, like one of those freaks with the weird colored hair and body piercings?' He shuddered inwardly. 'What if I dont make any progress?' Sigh. 'I dread Monday...'  
  
~*~  
  
It began to sprinkle lightly as Rin walked home with her sister Kagome and Kagome's friends Yuki, Eri, and Ayumi. Inwardly she cursed her luck. Rin hated the rain; it was so cold and wet... And it was raining the day Kikyo was murdered... The rain had etched bad memories into her mind permenantly.  
  
The girls held their backpacks over their heads and ran the rest of the way as the rain picked up. It was pretty much storming by the time Kagome and Rin reached their house on Arrow St.  
  
Kagome unlocked the door and walked in, followed by Rin. Sighing, the younger girl wrung the water out of her hair and skirt, then went up for a hot shower. Walking up the stairs she could hear Souta playing one of those video games of his.  
  
"Souta! Dont sit so close to the TV!" Kagome scolded, taking out her homework and starting on the assigned math problems.  
  
Upstairs, Rin took her shower and dried off, then went downstairs. Taking her new diary out of her school bag, she went back upstairs and locked herself in her room.  
  
She pulled her damp hair into a low ponytail and sat in her windowseat with her diary and pen. Honey-brown eyes gazed out at the falling rain. It was so... grey... so depressing... The weather mirrored her current mood perfectly...  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru pulled his dark jacket over his silver hair as he ran out of the school to the waiting limo, bag in hand. The driver nodded a greeting to Sess as the senior sat on the cushioned leather seat. The door opened again as Inuyasha climbed in, silvery hair dripping wet.  
  
Sess frowned slightly, before turning his head to stare out the tinted window. Inuyasha tried to make conversation on the drive home, but Sess just continued to stare.  
  
The limo pulled up in the driveway of the large house on Youkai Blvd. It was a fairly large, 2 story house with flower beds around it. It housed the Iizuka family, Inutaisho, their father, Mitsuko, Inuyashas mother and Sesshoumaru's step mother, the two boys themselves, and a few housekeepers. There was almost always someone around, much to Sesshoumaru's distaste.  
  
The Iizuki brothers headed inside and their wet jackets were taken care of by maids. Sess, school bag in hand, walked up the stairs to his bedroom on the 2nd floor.   
  
Sesshoumaru's room was different from other teenagers' rooms. The walls were painted an off-white and there was cream carpeting on the floor. His bed had white sheets and a navy comforter and was always perfectly made. There was a bookcase filled with encylopedias and other reference books in the corner and his desk was by that. His desk was polished wood and the top was neat; everything in its place. Sesshoumaru's room was so clean it was almost scary...  
  
He took his text books from his bag and stacked them in the corner of the desk. Picking up his pencil and sitting in the chair, he began on his homework...  
  
~*~  
  
Rin trudged downstairs for dinner when she heard her mother calling. Entering the kitchen, she looked around almost emotionlessly. It was the same grey-tiled, white painted kitchen they had always had dinner in. The grey marble-like counters were tidy and everything was clean. In the center was the old wooden table with antique chairs. There were lots of antiques in the house it seemed. Her grandfather was a collector.   
  
She sat in the same chair she always sat in, beside her mother and across from her little brother Souta. Kagome and Mrs. Higurashi sat on either side of the grandfather, who was on the end.  
  
Rin glanced down at the tablecloth; it was gray too, with a blue flower design. Grey grey grey, her whole life seemed to be grey! Life at 1307 Arrow St. was so... boring... so repetetive... Every day was the same for the mute girl.  
  
For Kagome, it was different. She had guys asking her out left and right and was forever going on dates. Guys seemed to steer clear of Rin though. Just because she couldnt speak.  
  
Kagome, Souta, Mrs. Higurashi and their grandfather started up a conversation about something or other. Rin wasnt listening to their animated chatter. She just poked at her vegetables a bit after eating the rest of her dinner.  
  
Signing, she excused herself to do her homework, when actually she just headed up to her room to watch some subtitled anime. Always put off what can be done later, that was her motto when it came to the evil demons from hell aka homework.  
  
Walking inside, she locked the door to her bedroom and glanced around. At least it wasnt grey in here. Rin's room was painted blue at the bottoms of the walls, then it got steadily darker until the blue turned to black, kind of like a night sky. At the top, in the black, were tiny silvery stars that she painted herself.  
  
Her bedspread was dark blue denim and her sheets and pillowcases were sky blue; the carpet under her feet was navy and even the cushion in the windowseat was blue. She loved her room, it was her sanctuary, her escape from reality.  
  
Popping a DVD into the player by her TV, she flopped back on the bed and watched a few episodes of Chobits. Around 9 she turned off the DVD player.  
  
'That Chii is so lucky...' Rin thought to herself. 'Its obvious Hideki loves her so much, yet shes oblivious...'  
  
Glancing out the window, she saw it was raining again, though it was beginning to slow down. 'Still raining...' A sigh. 'Rain rain rain... grey... so depressing... I hate the rain...' Honey brown eyes found the blank canvas in the corner of her room, along with the easel and paints. There was an old, paint-stained sheet underneath the easel to keep the paint off the carpet.   
  
'Its been a while since I painted something new...' She thought, getting up and picking up her paints and brush. Rin started, pouting slightly with concentration. She finished around midnight; now on the once-blank canvas, was a depressing painting of a lone woman amidst a swirl of grey and black. The woman wore a lonely expression, one hand reaching out for someone, anyone...   
  
After finishing, she did what little homework she had and sat in the windowseat for a few minutes, staring outside. Then she saw it, piercing through the black and the grey; a shooting star. Her face broke into a small smile and her eyes followed its path through the sky.  
  
'I wish... I wish to meet my soul mate soon...'  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru finished his homework with ease. He was probably the most advanced student in the school. He put away his school books and assignments, then deposited his bag in its usual spot beside the door.  
  
Stretching his muscles, stiff from sitting still so long, he heard a soft knock on the door.  
  
"Yes?" He called. One of the housekeepers opened the door a bit.   
  
"Dinner is ready Mr. Sesshoumaru."  
  
"I'll be right down." His voice stayed cold and calm as ever. The housekeeper nodded and hurried back downstairs to help serve.  
  
Sesshoumaru sighed. It was just another day. He headed downstairs to the dining room and took his seat at the long table. Gold eyes took in his surroundings.  
  
The dining room, a plain white room with crimson carpeting and the long polished wood table, was filled with people; housekeepers bustling in and out setting dishes on the table, his father Inutaisho at the head of the table, surrounded by delegates and visiting businessmen, his brother Inuyasha chatting animatedly with Mitsuko, most likely about his newest girlfriend Kagome, and then there was him, sitting alone at the opposite end of the table.  
  
Sesshoumaru felt outcasted from even his own family. He had felt that way since his mother died and Inutaisho remarried to Mitsuko. And Inutaisho made it known that Inuyasha was his favorite son. Thats probably why Sesshoumaru felt he needed to be perfect, to be better than Inuyasha... But it wasnt easy being perfect; in fact, it was the most difficult thing anyone could ever imagine.  
  
He always had to do things right the first time, always had to keep that calm, emotionless facade. It was... depressing to say the least...  
  
Dinner was served and Sesshoumaru ate in silence, listening half-heartedly to the conversations his father and the businessmen, and his step-mother and his half-brother were carrying on.  
  
He finished and excused himself from the table, going up to his room. Sess was tired, but he couldnt sleep yet... He picked up a book, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, and read for a few hours.   
  
Golden eyes glanced at the clock on his night table. Midnight already? Well, RotK WAS a good book... He marked his place with a bookmark and laid the book on his desk. Then he saw it through the window, a shooting star streaking through the black of night.  
  
'Its stupid... but why not? It isnt like anyone will know...' He thought to himself, and whispered aloud, "I wish I could find someone that I dont have to be perfect around, someone I can tell my secrets to without fear of wether the secrets would be safe... I wish to meet... my soul mate..."  
  
[AN]Disclaimer: dont own...  
  
This is one of the longest fics I've ever written so far and I think its one of my best... So, review please? Reviews would make me veeerrryyyy happy... I even accept flames, and I'll probably get quite a few since the story is kinda starting out boring... IT GETS BETTER! PROMISE! oo;;;[/AN] 


	2. Chapter 2

[AN]I forgot to mention last chapter, but *.....* is something someone is saying in sign language, just so no one gets confused...[/AN]  
  
The weekend passed uneventfully for both Sesshoumaru and Rin. Mondays always seemed to come quickly.  
  
'Where did my weekend go?' Sesshoumaru muttered as he walked to his locker, shoving his way through the throngs of people. It was right before 2nd period. His first period had been track practice.   
  
Reaching his locker, he found a certain dark-haired, ponytailed man waiting for him.  
  
"Hey Kouga..."  
  
"Yo Sess!"  
  
Sesshoumaru turned to his locker and twisted the combination to his lock. '7-37-21...'  
  
Kouga started ranting about Kagome or something, the other boy wasnt really listening. Sess opened his locker and took out his binder and math text book, nodding and 'mmhmm'ing to something Kouga said every once in a while.  
  
The warning bell rang, echoing through the hallways and Kouga rushed to his own locker to get his books. Amazingly, he made it to class before Sesshoumaru did. 'Kouga isnt on the track team for nothing...' The silver-haired student thought, blinking a bit.  
  
He took his seat at the back of the classroom by Kouga and listened as the teacher started the lesson.  
  
~*~  
  
Rin walked into the school, bag in hand. She had just gotten out of 1st period archery. It was a sort of tradition for the Higurashi girls to take archery; Mrs. Higurashi had taken archery, Kagome took it, their cousin Kikyo had taken it before she died. But while those girls had excelled at it, Rin... didnt. In fact, she down right sucked at it.  
  
Sighing, she got her books and walked into the special needs classroom, taking her usual seat by the window, preparing for 7 hours of complete boredom.   
  
Briefly she wished she could be a normal student and didnt have to stay in the same classroom all day. But none of her other teachers understood sign language and they didnt seem willing to learn. So she had to stay in here with Ms. Takahashi and Kanna, the only two people other than her sister and her sister's friends (who were all older than her) who could understand her.  
  
Kanna gave her her assignments for the day and Rin brought out her mechanical pencil. Sighing, she began on the work.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru was thankful when the lunch bell rang. He took a required reading book for literature class and his lunch from his locker and started out onto the grounds to eat and read ahead on the book.   
  
The silver-haired senior didnt get far though; he literally bumped into the last person he wanted to meet. Kagura. Kagura was the captain of the cheerleading squad and the most popular girl in school. Sess swore that if you looked up prep in the dictionary, it'd say something like "Prep - n. See Kaugra."  
  
"Hi Sesshoumaru." Kagura said, in what she thought to be a flirty yet sexy tone. Sess inwardly cringed, noting her tone of voice and her choice of outfit, which left little to the imagination.  
  
Kagura was wearing a white tube top with a burgundy stripe across the chest with a burgundy mini-skirt and matching platform shoes. She wore too much makeup and gaudy green beaded earrings, with her hair in a high ponytail; the mere sight of her made Sess want to throw up.  
  
"Ah... hi Kagura..."  
  
"So, I was wondering... Would you like to have lunch with me?" She flashed him a sickening smile and fiddled with a strand of her dark hair. He noted the gleam of wanting in her crimson eyes. It was no secret that Kagura had a crush on him; he, and everyone else in the school knew it. But she was so dense! Why couldnt she just take a hint?! He wasnt interested!  
  
"Um... Cant today... I'm ah..." God he just wanted to get out of there, and fast!  
  
"Oh, thats okay," Kagura made her disappointment obvious. "Maybe some other time Sessy-dear?"  
  
He outwardly grimaced at her new nickname for him, but Kagura took no notice. "Uh, yeah... maybe..."  
  
"Great!" Kagura giggled flirtatiously and went off to join her other preppy cheerleader friends, Yura, Tsuyu and Tsubaki. He also noted that Tsuyu's boyfriend Nobunaga was hanging out with them today.   
  
'I feel sorry for the poor guy...' He thought, chuckling quietly and walking out the door onto the grounds.  
  
The school grounds, a vast expanse of dead lawn dotted with trees and benches, were littered with small groups of talking students. A cold breeze blew, playing with strands of Sesshoumaru's hair. Wandering over to an area with fewer people, he noticed a bench amidst a clearing in the weeds. A few trees provided shade.  
  
Then he noticed... her...  
  
She was sitting there on the wooden bench, eating an apple and reading a fantasy novel. Her feet were propped up on a conveniently placed rock and she seemed relaxed.   
  
The girl was very pretty, he noticed; her honey-brown eyes focused on the book in her lap, some of her dark brown hair pulled into a small pony tail at the side of her head, leaving the rest to tumble freely   
  
down her back. She wore a pitch black peasant blouse with silver butterflies flitting across her chest, and a pair of dark denim jeans with a tan belt. A nice leather jacket was draped over her shoulders, guarding against the cool October winds.  
  
She didnt notice him as he sat down on the other side of the bench; she was so absorbed in her book.  
  
Sesshoumaru quietly cleared his throat to alert her of his presence. She looked over at him, nodded a polite greeting, and went back to her book.  
  
Sesshoumaru brought out his sandwich and ate as he read, not once looking up.  
  
~*~  
  
Rin was relieved when lunch came. Setting her pencil atop her math assignment, she walked out of the classroom and went to her locker. Kagome's was right next to hers since the lockers were in alphabetical order according to last name. She saw her sister, Yuki, Eri and Ayumi approaching and quickly grabbed her lunch and a novel out of her locker, ducking into the crowd as the group reached Kagome's locker. Rin didnt want to have to put up with their chatter today.  
  
Walking across the grounds she found her favorite bench, the one by the two willow trees. She sat down and propped her feet up on the rock that had been dragged out here, took out an apple and began reading on her novel.  
  
She didnt know how much time passed until she noticed someone sitting on the other end of the bench near her. He cleared his throat to alert her of his presence and began reading on a required book, one of those boring ones they call 'classics'.   
  
Rin kept sneaking glances at him as they both read in silence. He was rather handsome, with long silvery hair in a ponytail and gold eyes. He was wearing a white long sleeved shirt with a black collar and sleeves, jeans, and sneakers. Over, he was wearing a dark jacket.  
  
He didnt take his eyes off the book once and Rin was glad he hadnt actually said anything to her. He probably didnt know how to sign and neither of them had paper or pens.  
  
Forcing her eyes to the page of her fantasy novel, she began to read again, trying not to think about the guy sitting next to her.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru looked up as the bell rang and the beautiful girl beside him stood, marking her place in her book and tossing her apple core into a nearby trash can. Sesshoumaru marked his own place as the girl started across the grounds.  
  
"Wait!" He called out, standing up. She turned to look at him, blinking a bit. "What's your name?"  
  
She gave him a sad smile and ran off into the building. He stood back for a minute two, wondering about this strange girl.  
  
Shaking his head, as if to clear it he headed inside and to his locker. 'Only an hour til the StS program...' He thought, taking his literature book from his locker and rushing off to class.  
  
~*~  
  
Rin sat in her seat by the window once she reached the special needs classroom. She took out her english assignment and began writing. After a few paragraphs, her mind began to wander. Her thoughts werent on writing; they were on the boy from lunch.  
  
She wished she had gotten his name; now she may never see him again. He did look like a senior after all... and he'd probably stay away from that bench tomorrow, after seeing she was there. It was too bad really... He was cute...  
  
Absentmindedly she began to doodle in the margins of the notebook paper she was writing on. Her lines and circles soon began to look like something; an anime-style drawing of a head and neck. Hair was added; long and in a ponytail, swirling to the front. Then facial features; gold eyes, a chiseled nose, lips set in an almost-pout.  
  
The sakura blossoms, bubbles and swirly lights of a shoujo background completed the picture and Rin snapped out of her train of thought. Looking down at her little doodle she blushed, a pinkish color tinting her pale cheeks.  
  
Kanna noticed this, smiled and pulled a chair up to Rin's desk. Glancing down at Rin's little drawing she giggled quietly and signed,  
  
*Looks like you have a crush.*   
  
Rin blushed harder and signed quickly, *No I dont! We just happened to share a bench at lunch! I dont even know his name!*  
  
*Who knows Rin, maybe you have a secret admirer!*  
  
*Doubt it.*  
  
*Anything is possible.*   
  
Rin shrugged and began erasing the anime-style drawing on her english paper. After signing a question to the teachers aide, Kanna began to softly explain some things.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru barely paid attention to Mrs. Endicott, the english teacher, as she droned on about something or other. He was too busy thinking.  
  
'What if I get paired up with someone impossible? What if I dont make any progress with the StS program? Why did I sign up for this at all?! And who was that girl I saw at lunch? Shes pretty... I guess...' He inwardly cringed. He couldnt think about girls, not at this point in his life! He had to be perfect, had to concentrate on school and getting into a good college.  
  
He had to impress his father, prove he was better than his no-good half-brother Inuyasha... A particluarly painful flashback came to mind...  
  
~(~(~(~(~A 12 year old Sesshoumaru peeked out from the hall at his father and an 8 year old Inuyasha. Little Inu was waving a piece of paper with a red mark at the top excitedly and Inutaisho was beaming proudly.  
  
"Look daddy look! Look! I made an 87 on my math test!" Little Inu shouted happily. Inutaisho's grin spread even wider.  
  
"Thats great son!" Little Sess watched his father pick up Little Inu and swing him around in a circle as Little Inu laughed with joy.  
  
"Its not fair..." Little Sess whispered to himself. "What... what about me?..."  
  
"Daddy, i'm your favorite right? Not Sesshoumaru?"  
  
Little Sess felt a wave of dread wash over him. "No... Dont... Please dont say it daddy..." Was his whispered plea.   
  
"Of course Inuyasha." Inutaisho said, smiling proudly at his second son. Little Sess stood in horror. His father loved Inuyasha more than him? But why?...  
  
Mitsuko came out of the kitchen and soon joined in the celebrating over Little Inu's damned 87%, hugging Little Inu and telling him what a good job he did. Little Sess felt a tear run its way down his cheek. He always got 100%'s on his tests, but his father never praised him... Feelings of resentment, hatred, and anger surfaced in Sesshoumaru that day; hatred of his half-brother and step-mother and anger at his father. That's when he started thinking he had to be absolutely perfect, to win his father's pride and affection.~(~(~(~(~  
  
Sesshoumaru knew what his future was going to be. He was going to graduate from the best college around and take over his father's business. He wouldnt have time for a wife or children. He'd be sucessful and rich, and Inuyasha would be stuck back home with a family to support. Said family would hold his half-brother down and Sesshoumaru would be the only one worthy of the Iizuki family.  
  
Sess was startled out of his thoughts by a poke in his back from Kouga. He looked at his friend, confused, but when Kouga jabbed his pencil in the teachers direction, Sess paid attention again; just in time, since Mrs. Endicott was giving out the assignment.  
  
[AN]*has happy tears in eyes* THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE NICE REVIEWS!! 6... yay! ^_^ And now for review responses, since my reviewers are such great peoples!  
  
~*~  
  
Review Responses:   
  
Mewchild: Yes, Sess/Rin roxxors! ^_^ Sess/Kag SHOULD burn in hell... Its not even a likely pairing (See rant in bio)... Glad you like, heres the update! ^^;  
  
Liz.Q: Domo arigatou!! ^^ Heres the update.  
  
Angel64: Thank youuuu! Not much interaction between our favorite couple-to-be in this chapter, but there will be more in chapter 3!  
  
Tesson: Yes, yes, it starts out slow. I hafta introduce characters and settings and all that junk. Plus I wanted this story to be longer than what I usually write... Heres the next chap! ^^;  
  
duckknight: ^__^; Your review really made me smile! Hardcore Sess/Rin fans unite! =D Sess/Anyone Else can burn in hell! MWAHA! Oh, and I would have replied to that email you sent me, but yyhmails being a bitch. --;;;  
  
ElectricRain: Arigatou! And I read your story, "Trapped in This Thing Called Love". Its great! I'm just too lazy to leave a review... *sweatdrop* ^^; 


	3. Chapter 3

[AN]Reviews! ^_^ You've all made me a very happy authoress... Sorry I didnt update yesterday... I was... um... busy... doing homework... Yeah, homework. ;;;  
  
Ashura: *storms in and smacks Mage* You werent doing homework dipshit! --;; You were reading fanfics after school, then bad stuff about Disney films when you got bored of that...  
  
Mage: I swear that pillar on the Little Mermaid art really DID look like a... um... male thingy... oo;;; And the dust in the Lion King really does look like it spells sex!!!  
  
Ashura: *sighs and shakes head* You are much too mature for your age...  
  
Mage: Be glad I am, or you wouldnt exist pal. --;  
  
Ashura: Well, since you didnt update yesterday, I'm going to make sure you write your review responses and update quickly. --; *stands over Mage with the most horrible thing of all... her algebra homework oo;;;*  
  
Mage: OO;;; EEP! WRITING, WRITING!  
  
~*~*~*~*~Review Responses! YAY!~*~*~*~*~  
  
Mewchild: I'm glad you agree with the Sess/Kag being icky too! =D Maybe a few of us Sess/Rin fans should get together and start a Sess/Kag hate group... Hmmmm.... *starts plotting* Oh, you actually read my rant? Wowies ^^; Didnt think anyone would...  
  
serena: Arigatou! ^^;  
  
Liz.Q: *staring in shock at review* Oh... my... Ra... That sounds exactly like something I'd say oo;;;; Talk about deja vu... I have a Sesshy plushie too! =D His name is Sesshou-plushie... cuz I'm too lazy to give him a real name. Oo;; OOOHHH COOKIE! *eats happily* Arigatou! By the way, I read your bio! ^^; We love/hate all the same couples! YAY! I love Bankotsu/Jakotsu too... ^_^ Jaky-sama sooo totally belongs with Ban-kun... *re-reads next to last line of your bio and cheers loudly* WOOHOOOOO! (*Ashura thwacks Mage and yells at her to start the next review response...*)  
  
duckknight: Yeah, I've read some of those fics! Captive Soul, Cinder Rin, I think a couple others too... Yes, Angel64 *IS* a damn good authoress! And I'm not exactly sure if counseling plays a super-huge part in this, except to get Sess and Rin to get to know each other... My almost non-existant mind, and my plots, wander often... Oo;; About my age, people say I'm more mature than other 13 year olds... They just dont know HOW mature. ;;;;   
  
Ninetales122: Oh yes I did stop there! ; I'm the authoress so I can do that... And more will come... I've got 13 chapters pre-written, but I've got writers block on 14...  
  
Cookie6: Arigatou! ^^;  
  
tikimoof: Yesssss... We loveses LotR, dont we preciousssss? *hugs a bagel Oo* Well its fairly ring-like ;; And thanks! ^^;  
  
~*~*~*~*~End Review Responses~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ashura: *mutters and whacks Mage* This has been one LONG authors note...  
  
Mage: Then quit boring the readers with your gayness!  
  
Ashura: MY GAYNESS IS NOT THE ISSUE HERE!  
  
Mage: OH GO MAKE OUT WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND!  
  
*Mage and Ashura get into a huge dustcloud fight with lots of yelling and shameless hair-pulling, leaving the audience to read the next chapter...*[/AN]  
  
===============================================  
  
The bell rang, dismissing students from their 5th period classes. Sesshoumaru left amidst the crowd and put his things away in his locker. As he was shutting his locker door, Kouga popped up.  
  
"Hey Sess! Excited about the program?" He said cheerily. Kouga always seemed happy, unless he was involved in a fight with Inuyasha. "I signed up too ya know. Wondering who you're going to get as a partner?"  
  
"Yeah..." Sess answered simply, walking down the stairs to the special needs classroom. Kouga bounced along at his side, talking about the program and how happy he was to be getting out of chemistry 3 days a week.  
  
They, along with a group of other seniors, milled about outside the special needs room unti Ms. Takahashi and the teachers aide Kanna stepped out. Ms. Takahashi held a clipboard and pen in her hands.  
  
"Hi!" Ms. Takahashi greeted them brightly. "Thank you all for signing up for the Student-to-Student Counseling and Tutoring program. I'm sure youre all ready to get started," Several mutters of 'yeah, whatever' were heard. "So I'll let you all know who your partners are!"  
  
Glancing around at the group of seniors, Kanna thought in disgust, 'They're only here to skip their 6th periods... None of this lot actually want to make a difference in someone's life...'  
  
The white-haired college student sighed and listened as Ms. Takahashi read out the list of partners.  
  
"Kouga and Ayame, Rika and Takaku...." Sess listened for his name. She called off several people and finally came to the bottom of her list. "And Sesshoumaru, may I speak with you for a minute? The rest of you can go on in and get to know your partner."  
  
The others filed into the classroom and the door shut. Ms. Takahashi turned to Sess. "Sesshoumaru, do you know any sign language?" She asked, looking kind of worried.  
  
Sesshoumaru nodded. "I took a course on it last summer. I might be a little rusty though. Why?"  
  
"Because I wanted to pair you off with Rin. She's a perfectly intelligent girl, but she lost her voice two years ago after witnessing a traumatizing event. She hasnt told anyone just what she saw though. That, and the death of her cousin Kikyo left her mute." Ms. Takahashi stated sadly. "So now she speaks in sign language or writes. Do you think you can do this?"  
  
"Yes, of course Ms. Takahashi." He said, inwardly groaning. He hardly remembered ANY sign language. Ah well, this 'Rin' person would just have to write what she had to say, at least until the knowledge came back to him.  
  
"Great! Thank you so much Sesshoumaru, maybe you will be able to get her talking again." The teacher gave him a grateful smile and went back into the room to check and see how everyone was doing.  
  
Slowly, as if he was being taken to his own execution, Sesshoumaru followed.  
  
~*~  
  
6th period came quickly, almost too quickly for Rin. She felt a wave of depression as the late bell rang. The mute could hear Ms. Takahashi and Kanna talking with several seniors outside the door. Breifly, Rin wondered who she'd be paired up with. Would her partner be totally horrible, or overly perky and cheery? Rin didnt think she could stomach either of those personality traits...  
  
Finally the older students filed in and parted, going off to find their assigned partners. Rin felt a wave of nervousness as she watched them. No one had come up to her yet...  
  
Damn, she had spoken too soon! A guy with long dark hair in a ponytail and blue eyes walked up to her.   
  
"Hey, are you Ayame?" He asked, blinking at Rin. She shook her head and pointed to the chestnut-haired girl in white in the corner.  
  
"Ah, thanks." He left her desk and joined Ayame at hers. A sigh of relief from Rin.  
  
Maybe she'd get lucky and Ms. Takahashi wouldnt find a partner for her. Rin highly doubted that, but she could hope...  
  
Ms. Takahashi came in a few minutes after the seniors did, a certain silver-haired guy following her.  
  
Rin gasped slightly. It was the guy from lunch! 'What is HE doing here?' She thought to herself.  
  
~*~  
  
Sess entered the noisy room, glancing around at all the talking students. Which of these girls was Rin? Then he noticed the dark-haired girl from lunch, sitting alone in the corner.  
  
'What is she doing in here? Did she sign up for this thing too?' He wondered, skirting around desks and chairs. Leaning against the wall near the girl, he looked at her and asked,  
  
"Hi... Uh... Which one them's Rin?" He asked, looking around the classroom.  
  
The girl signed something, fingers flying. He blinked in confusion. He could understand sign language, but not when someone was signing that fast. The girl slapped her forehead and took out paper and a pen. He glanced at the paper as she wrote: I'm Rin, why do you ask?  
  
'SHE'S RIN?!' He was surprised, yet at the same time, he felt he should have known. 'No wonder she couldnt tell me her name at lunch...'  
  
"Ah, um... I guess we're partners, Rin..."  
  
'Partners?!' Rin could hardly believe her ears. She was going to be stuck with this guy 3 days a week for a whole month?! Someone up there obviously liked her...  
  
Her pen flew over the sheet of notebook paper as she wrote. ~Ah, okay then...~  
  
"So... First we should get to know each other right?" Sess asked hesitantly. Rin nodded. "Okay... I'm Sesshoumaru Iizuki..."  
  
~My name is Rin Higurashi.~  
  
"Higurashi?" Sess blinked in confusion. That last name seemed familiar to him. "Are you Kagome Higurashi's sister?" A nod from Rin. "Ah yes... I think I've heard my brother Inuyasha speak about you..."  
  
~Well this is unexpected... I'm partnered up with my sister's boyfriend's brother...~  
  
"Yeah... So, uhh... Getting to know each other... um... uh... What's your favorite color?" He stammered out. 'Damn that sounded so stupid!'  
  
Setting down her pen, she decided to sign again, though slowly. *Blue... And black. Whats yours?*  
  
"Uhh... probably black... or white..."  
  
*White isnt a color, its a shade silly.* Rin signed to him slowly, smiling ever so slightly.  
  
Sesshoumaru stared at her a bit, lost in those honey brown eyes. It was the first time he had seen her smile. 'Her smile is so amazing...' He thought to himself.  
  
Rin cocked her head and blinked. *Take a picture, it'll last longer.*  
  
He realized he was staring and the slightest tint of red covered his cheeks. "Oh, uh... sorry..."  
  
*Its okay.*  
  
"So uh... Rin, do you have any hobbies?" 'I must seem like such an idiot to her right about now...'  
  
*I paint... I like to draw too... What are your hobbies?*  
  
"Uh... I like fencing..."  
  
*Are you in the fencing club?* Her hand motions remained slow so he could understand.  
  
"Yeah... So... could I maybe see some of your drawings sometime?"  
  
*I'm not very good... but if you want to I guess I dont mind...*  
  
"Okay..."  
  
The two were less tense after a while and began to talk/sign animatedly. Rin had to take up writing what she wanted to say again because she couldnt keep up the slow signing any more. By the end of the period they knew most of each other's likes and dislikes.  
  
Ms. Takahashi had been watching them from her desk or from around the room. Smiling to herself, she thought, 'Those two get along nicely... I bet he asks her out by the end of the week.'  
  
Kanna sat on a desk at the far end of the room, glancing at all the talking students, especially Sess and Rin. 'Maybe this was a good idea after all...'  
  
Sesshoumaru and Rin felt that only minutes had passed when the bell rang, dismissing everyone from their 6th period. Feeling slightly disappointed at having to go so soon, Sesshoumaru waved goodbye to Rin and she signed *Bye... Seeya Wednesday...* He nodded and left the room.  
  
Reaching his locker, he smiled a bit. Rin was nice, he had decided. Suddenly he was looking forward to the next month.  
  
~*~  
  
After school was over Rin walked out of the special needs classroom and went to her locker. She twisted in the combination and took her homework out, stuffing it into her black messenger bag.  
  
Kagome, Eri, Yuki and Ayumi crowded around Kagome's and Rin's lockers, talking happily. Rin wasnt listening; her thoughts were focused on Sesshoumaru.  
  
'Hey... he said he was in fencing club... Dont they have practice today? Cant hurt to look...' She thought to herself, grinning inwardly. She would just take a peek...  
  
The younger girl tapped her sister on the shoulder. Kagome turned and looked at her.  
  
"Yeah Rin?"  
  
Rin slung her bag over her shoulder and signed, *Kagome, I'm going to stay after school for a while today. I...* She thought quickly. *...have to ask Kanna about some problems on my math homework...*  
  
"Okay Rin, we're going to head home, okay?" The mute was glad her sister believed her lie. She'd never hear the end of it if Kagome knew she was staying after to check out a guy's fencing practice.  
  
Kagome and her group of friends strolled out the door, engaging in another animated conversation.  
  
Rin flitted out the doors and ran across campus to the gym, bag bouncing on her hip. She peeked through the glass on the double doors.   
  
Inside, two figures had already started a match. She couldnt tell who they were because of the protective masks on their faces. The rest of the team hadnt arrived yet.  
  
Her eyes were locked on the current match, particularly the taller figure. He moved with such grace and agility; it was almost ethereal. The shorter moved with equal grace, but he didnt have the regal, majestic aura about him as did the first.  
  
Rin softly opened the door and sat on the bleachers inside, on the top. Weapons continued to clash, meaning they hadnt noticed her. She practically became invisible when she wanted to.   
  
The match continued still as the other members of the fencing team came in, one after the other. Rin recognized one of them; a tall boy with black hair in a small ponytail and teasing violet eyes. It was Miroku, a 'friend' of Kagome's and the school hentai. He may grope, but he was harmless. Rin never knew him to grope a girl who wouldnt slap him.  
  
"DAMN!" The shorter of the figures down on the mats shouted, dropping his weapon. The taller smirked, though it was hidden by his protective mask. They took off their mask thingies and she saw the taller had been Sesshoumaru. The other, another silver-haired, golden-eyed guy with dog ears. Inuyasha.  
  
"I win." Sesshoumaru said in a taunting voice, smirking. Rin stood and began clapping, a faint smile on her face. Both Iizuki brothers jumped at the sound, which sent Rin into a fit of silent giggles.   
  
Sesshoumaru put his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes in mock irritation; the amber pools gleamed with amusement and mischeif. "And just what are you doing here?"  
  
Rin grinned and leapt down the bleachers gracefully. *I felt like watching you practice silly.*  
  
"Ah, okay. Prepare to be bored out of your mind."  
  
*I wont be bored. That little spar was quite interesting.*   
  
"Only because I'm the best." He grinned and was thwacked over the head by Inuyasha.   
  
"You wish. Hey Rin-chan." Inuyasha said. She waved and smiled... until she felt a hand on her rear end. She jumped, instinctively slapping the guilty one. Miroku rubbed his cheek, which now sported a bright red handprint.   
  
"Wow, she hits almost as hard as Sango-chan..." He muttered in amazement. Inuyasha fell over laughing and Sess chuckled a bit.   
  
Miroku turned to Rin and took her hands in his, gazing into her eyes. "My lady, will you do me the honors of bearing my child?"  
  
The mute's eyes widened in utter disbelief. He was asking her to BEAR HIS CHILD?! THE NERVE! The grin on Miroku's face spread.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes!"  
  
Sesshoumaru, eye twitching, promptly whacked him over the head. "She doesnt want to bear your child Miroku, Rins just mute and cant say 'hell no' like i know she wants to."  
  
Rin nodded her agreement.   
  
"Ahhh, gomen ne Rin-san. I use that line on every pretty girl I see, but I'm trying to stop." He said sheepishly, rubbing the new lump on his head.  
  
"You should stay away from other girls Miroku, you already have a girlfriend. Sango will NOT be happy if you keep using that pathetic pickup line." Inuyasha stated, eyebrow raised.  
  
"Yes..."  
  
The instructor came into the gym then and the team moved onto the mats to practice. Rin sat back on the bleachers and watched.  
  
~*~  
  
After practice, everyone began heading home. Sesshoumaru tossed his bag into the backseat of his Jeep, seeing as he had driven to school today and noticed Rin walking across the parking lot.  
  
"Hey! Rin! Wanna ride?" He called out; she looked like she had originally planned to walk home. She jogged over and signed an okay, sure.  
  
"Your house is on the way to mine anyway." He said with a smile, getting into the driver's seat. Rin climbed in on the passenger's side.  
  
*Thank you, I appreciate it.*  
  
"No prob." Sess started up the Jeep and pulled out.  
  
~*~  
  
They sat in silence on the drive to Rin's place on Arrow St. He pulled into the driveway and Rin signed another 'thanks' to Sesshoumaru. Mrs. Higurashi, at seeing the white Jeep containing her daughter pull into the driveway, ran outside, a worried expression on her face.  
  
"Rin! Rin, where have you been?! Kagome said you stayed after to ask Kanna about some math problems, I thought you had been kidnapped! It shouldnt take that long to get homework help!"  
  
Rin got out of the jeep and before her mother could hug her or say anything else, she began to sign an explanation for her lateness.  
  
*I did, but then... I decided to stay longer and watch the fencing club practice. Sorry I was so late.*  
  
"Call next time Rin!" Then Mrs. Higurashi noticed the silver-haired senior in the drivers seat. "Oh, who's your friend?"  
  
*This is Sesshoumaru Iizuki. Ms. Takahashi partnered us up for the counseling program.* The faintest shade of pink stained Rin's porcelain cheeks as she signed to her mother.  
  
"Oh, nice to meet you! Arent you Inuyasha's older brother?"   
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Would you like to stay for dinner Sesshoumaru?"  
  
"No thank you, I really need to be getting home..." He said. It probably wouldnt have been a good idea.  
  
"Oh okay... Well you're welcome to come on over any time you want."  
  
"Alright. Thank you Mrs. Higurashi. Bye! Seeya tomorrow Rin." He said, pulling out of the driveway and drove off.  
  
'Tomorrow? But... tomorrow's Tuesday, we dont have a counseling session tomorrow...' Rin felt heat rising in her cheeks. Just how in the world did she get so lucky?!  
  
===============================================  
  
Mage: *by now, is staring at a cornflakes box and wondering why there's a rooster on the front* .....  
  
Ashura: I hate my life... *painting nails*  
  
Mage: .....I HAVE COME TO A CONCLUSION! O.O;;; CORNFLAKES ARE MADE OUT OF ROOSTERS!!!  
  
Ashura: *shakes head* What ARE we gonna do with you? --; *turns to readers* You! Yes, you! can make a difference in a stupid person's life today! All you hafta do is leave a review!  
  
Mage: Rhyme! =D 


	4. Chapter 4

[AN]HI-LO! And welcome to another chapter of Wish Upon A Star! ^^; I woke up JUST in time for Shaman King today and THEY RUINED MANTA! ;;; MORTIMER?! What was wrong with the name 'Manta'?! Geez... --;; 4Kids Entertainment can go to hell...  
  
Now that THAT's outta my system, on to review responses!  
  
Shinnyu Kudzu: I'm continuing, I'm continuing... Dont kill me oo;;; There will be LOTSES of sess/rin cuz sess/rin roxxors! =D I update often, dont worry... I know how much it sucks to have to wait a month to read a new chapter... Eheh... ^^; Ohhh! Sessy plushie! ARIGATOU! ^_^ *adds it to her mini-shrine to Sesshy*   
  
Cookie6: Thank you! ^^; Sess is cool... Cuz he is the almighty Sess-chan...  
  
Snowfire the Kitsune: Thanks! ^^;  
  
Mewchild: I agree, Sess is SO cute when he smiles! =D And no prob, yours is really good! ^^; *giggles maniacally* plot, yes plot... mwahahahahaha... plotting good... I have a number 1 fan? *squeals* I feel so special! =D Arigatou!  
  
ElectricRain: Thanks! ^_^  
  
And a big thanks to the people who put me on their favorite lists! =D I feel special... You guys dun know how much your reviews mean to me... I havent been feeling well lately, but I feel a lot better after reading my reviews. ^^; Heres the next chapter! More interaction between Sess and Rin, and Jakotsu and Bankotsu's first appearance![/AN]  
  
WARNING WARNING WARNING! There WILL be mild yaoi in the next chapters, but nothing TOO serious. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.  
  
===============================================  
  
After dinner, Rin went upstairs and locked herself in her room, feeling happier than she had ever been in the past two years. Sitting in her windowseat and taking her diary and pen out of her desk drawer, she opened it up to the next clean page and began to write.  
  
~Dear Diary,  
  
Hello again. You wont believe this! I met a guy today. His name is Sesshoumaru and he's my partner for the stupid StS program. He's really nice and he can actually understand sign language, though one has to sign slow for him. Thats okay though.  
  
I first saw him at lunch. He sat on the bench beside me and read. Then 6th period I found out that he was my partner. I want to get to know him better...  
  
Oh, I stayed after school to watch his fencing practice too. Hes so good at it! I'll have to ask him when his next competition is.  
  
Diary, its weird... I only met him today, but I feel like I've known him longer. I also get a funny feeling when he smiles at me; I feel like... like I could fly or something... And he's hott.~ Rin giggled silently at this. ~No, bad Rin! He probably doesnt want anything to do with you after this month is over so just drop it!  
  
Love, Rin~  
  
Smiling, she put away her diary and settled in the window seat with a blanket to watch the stars.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru drove home after dropping Rin off and pulled into the driveway. Obviously in quite a good mood, he strode out of the garage and into the dining room for dinner.  
  
Tonight he took a seat beside Inuyasha. The food was served and Sess immediately dug in.  
  
Mitsuko noticed Sess and smiled slightly. 'Well, hes in a good mood today...'  
  
Inuyasha poked his older half-brother with his fork. "Whats up with you? You're acting weird."  
  
"I am not acting weird Inuyasha." Sess rolled his eyes. "I'm just eating. How is that weird?"  
  
"Well you're eating fast and usually you just pick at your food and you always sit down at the end of the table by yourself and you never talk to any of us."  
  
"That..." Sess started, blinking. "Was the longest run-on sentence I've ever heard..."  
  
Inuyasha facefaulted. "Whats gotten into you?!"  
  
"I just feel great today so shut it." He said simply and finished off his dinner in a couple bites. "Well, I got homework to do." He strode upstairs and to his room, where he quickly did his homework and flopped onto his bed.  
  
'I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow...' He thought, before falling asleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Three days passed. Sesshoumaru got to know Rin better during their talks in the special needs classroom. They had lunch together when Kagome and her friends didnt drag Rin off.   
  
Thursday morning, Sesshoumaru walked onto campus, wondering what he was going to do til 2nd period, seeing as track practice was canceled.  
  
Shouts and a group of females talking drew his attention. It was the archery class, milling about the field where the targets were set up. Glancing, he noticed that Rin and Kagome were among them.  
  
'Maybe I'll stop by and watch Rin's practice...' He thought and found a nice, shady spot pretty much out of sight. Setting down his bag, he sat down and focused on the archery girls.  
  
~*~  
  
Rin walked out to the field with Kagome and the other girls in the archery class. Kagome was chatting with a couple seniors, Rin listening. A couple younger girls passed out the bows and arrows as they waited for the instructor.  
  
The mute looked up when she spotted a girl about Kagome's age running across the grass, bag bouncing against her hip. She had long dark hair in a high ponytail and was wearing a black shirt with see-through mesh sleeves and dark jeans.  
  
Kagome noticed her too. "Sango-chan!" She stood and greeted her best friend. "Where have you BEEN?!"  
  
Sango reached the group and fell over, catching her breath. "I was... -pant pant- off on a huge youkai extermination -pant pant- job. Dad -pant- had to bring Kohaku too. A house was -pant pant- overrun with giant centipede youkai." It was a well-known fact that Sango's family owned and operated a successful lesser-youkai extermination business. Sango and her little brother Kohaku sometimes went along on big jobs to help out.  
  
"Hey I'm not late am I?"  
  
*No Sango, the teacher isnt here yet.* Rin signed the answer to Sango's question.  
  
"Ah, good. I had to walk Kohaku to the elementary school today." She stated, her pantings ceasing.  
  
"Little brothers can be such pests sometimes..." Kagome stated, smiling.  
  
"Yeah, I guess."  
  
The teacher arrived then and the archery lesson began.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru chuckled as Rin fired yet another arrow at her target and missed. There were now about 10 arrows stuck in the target, all in the outer two circles. She wasnt very good at this, that was for sure. But she was still fun to watch, he thought.  
  
He stood and stretched, his muscles stiff from sitting still.  
  
~*~  
  
Rin set an arrow to the string and took careful aim. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of silvery white. Blinking, she turned in that direction.   
  
'Sesshoumaru?! What is HE doing here?!' Her mind raced.   
  
"Rin, concentrate on practice." The instructor said, tapping her on the shoulder. The mute nodded and blindly fired an arrow towards the target, eyes closed. 'Damn damn damn! He must have seen me miss all those times! Damn it!'  
  
Shouts and cheers erupted about Rin and the other girls crowded around her. She heard shouts of 'Great job Rin!' and 'Wow Rin!'.  
  
'What the...?' Opening her eyes she glanced at the rest of the class, then at the target. She had hit the bullseye!  
  
Honey brown eyes widened in shock and amazement. She had actually done it!  
  
~*~  
  
Sess knew she had seen him. 'Damn...' He moved out of sight, muttering under his breath. He saw the archery instructor say something to Rin, and saw her put the arrow to the string of her bow.   
  
Golden eyes followed the path of the arrow and he smiled as it hit the bullseye, directly in the center. 'Great job Rin.'  
  
He glanced at his watch. 5 minutes til the bell. 'Ah well... I can congratulate her some other time...' Quick as a flash, he ran across the field and into the school building.  
  
~*~  
  
Rin watched Sesshoumaru run inside and briefly wondered why he had been watching in the first place. The bell rang inside and Rin, Kagome, Sango and the rest of the girls gathered up their things and went off to class.  
  
~*~  
  
Sess pushed through the crowded hallways and made his way to his locker to get his books. Instead of Kouga waiting for him as usual, he found that slut Kagura and her ditzy friends.  
  
Today, Kagura was wearing a light green halter top that showed her pierced navel and the heart tattoo on her shoulder. Her shorts were dark denim and extremely short, showing off perfect legs. Her hair was left loose and she still wore those gaudy earrings.  
  
"Hi Sesshoumaru-dear!" She said in a sickeningly sweet voice. Sess felt like he wanted to hurl.   
  
"Oh, ah... Hi..." He noticed she was carrying a stack of fliers in her arms, as were Tsubaki, Tsuyu, and Yura, who were milling about behind Kagura.  
  
"Here's a flier for the Halloween dance coming up." Kagura smiled sweetly and handed him the flier off the top of her stack. "You might want to start... looking for a date? And a costume of course."  
  
"Ah, yeah... Thanks..." Sess folded up the flier and stuffed it into his pocket without even looking at it. God he hated Kagura! Why wouldnt she just leave him alone?! Sometimes he wanted to scream at her to get lost, but he didnt, being the civil guy he was.  
  
He went around Kagura's friends and got his books from his locker hurriedly.  
  
"So Sessy-dear, would you like to have lunch with me today?" She asked, flashing him a perfect white smile.  
  
"I'm... ah... I gotta... I volunteered to um... help Kanna and Ms. Takahashi out with something today... Yeah thats it..." He said quickly.   
  
"I'm sure my older sister and Ms. Takahashi would understand if you didnt show up!"   
  
'Oh shit! Shit shit shit! Now what?!' His mind raced. How the hell was he going to get out of this one?! "Uh... I um..."  
  
Crimson eyes narrowed. "You're seeing someone arent you?" Kagura said in a low, dangerous tone.  
  
"Um... Yeah! Thats it! I promised to have lunch with my ah... girlfriend today... Sorry Kagura..."  
  
Kagura glared daggers. "So who is your... girlfriend?"  
  
The warning bell rang just then and Sess sighed with relief. 'Saved by the bell...' "Seeya Kagura!" Sess said quickly, before dashing off to class.  
  
~*~  
  
Later that day Sesshoumaru sat in class, glancing at the clock every now and then. Only 15 more minutes til lunch. The teacher droned on about something or other; Sesshoumaru wasnt paying attention, his thoughts focused on more important things. Like the Halloween dance.  
  
The teacher finished explaining and gave the class 10 minutes of free time instead of an assignment. Students all got out of their seats and began talking to their friends.  
  
Sesshoumaru took the flier out of his pocket and unfolded it on his desk. He noted that Kagura had taken the liberty of writing her number on the top in glittery pink pen. It said "Call me sweetie!" underneath the numbers, the 'i' dotted with a heart.  
  
"Ugh... I am NOT her sweetie..." Sess muttered, taking out a black pen and marking out her number, before reading the rest of the flier. October 31st was the date, of course. 'Thats about three weeks from now...'  
  
"So who're you gonna ask, Sess? That Kagura chick maybe?" Kouga said, pulling a chair up to Sesshoumaru's desk.  
  
"Kagura? Tch, right..."  
  
"Why not dude? She IS kinda hot."  
  
"Then YOU ask her." Sess rolled his eyes. "I cant stand the bitch..."  
  
"I was going to ask Kagome."  
  
"Kouga lay off the Higurashi girl. Shes GOT a boyfriend already! Geez..."  
  
"I know I know... If she doesnt wanna go I figured I'd ask Ayame. Shes cute too. So anyway, who are YOU taking to the dance?"  
  
"I'm probably not even going to go..." Sess said, even though he knew who he wanted to take. But she wouldnt want to go with him...  
  
"Aw c'mon! Tell ya what, if you cant find a date, I wont get one either. Then we can hang out or something." Kouga said, propping his chin with an arm. He always was a good friend, even if he was a bit arrogant.  
  
"No, even if I dont go you should. Dont let me ruin your fun."  
  
"I could find a date for ya Sess." Sess just shook his head.  
  
The lunch bell rang and everyone herded through the door. 'Finally!' Sess thought as he went to his locker to get his lunch. He took the black lunch bag from the locker and started outside, desperately hoping that Kagome and her friends werent going to drag Rin off to have lunch with them. He was really starting to like the mute girl.  
  
Suddenly a face appeared before his; a rather feminine face. He knew it couldnt be Kagura; the makeup was too professional looking. The person bounced back a little, grinning. It was a guy, judging by the hard, muscled chest under the skin tight shirt.   
  
"Hi Sess!" The guy said cheerily. He had green stripes painted under both eyes and just the right amount of lipstick. His shirt was green and he wore designer jeans and a silver ankh pendant.  
  
"Oh, hey Jakotsu." Sess greeted him with a nod. Jakotsu was homosexual, obviously, but Sesshoumaru still thought he was okay. The other used to hit on him all the time, but that was before Jakotsu met his boyfriend Bankotsu, who was bisexual and was definately the jealous type. Jakotsu had stopped hitting on other people to keep Bankotsu happy.  
  
"You seen Ban-kun?" The other asked, looking around. Jakotsu was startled by a pair of arms creeping around his waist.  
  
"Right here koibito." Bankotsu said with a grin. The dark-haired guy stood and Sess got a good look at his t-shirt, which was black and said "I'm not gay but my boyfriend is." on the front.  
  
Sess chuckled. 'So true, so true...' Bankotsu had lots of those weird hot topic t-shirts, but Sess found this the funniest.  
  
The silver-haired senior felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned to find a smiling Rin.  
  
"Hey Rin!" He said happily. Sess noticed that today she was wearing a slightly baggy pair of black canvas cargos, a long sleeved, form-fitting white shirt and a black vest with zipper pockets. Her dark brown hair was done up in the usual style.  
  
"Ohhh, who's she Sess? Your girlfriend?" Jakotsu squealed happily. Rin blushed and shook her head no at that comment.  
  
"No Jakotsu, this is Rin. Shes a friend of mine. Rin, this is Jakotsu and Bankotsu."  
  
Rin put her lunch bag under her arm and signed something to the homosexual couple. Jakotsu blinkued and cocked his head.  
  
"Wha?" Bankotsu said flatly, blinking also.  
  
"She said 'Nice to meet you both.'" Sess translated and Rin nodded. "Rin's mute so she uses sign language to communicate."  
  
"Oh!" Jakotsu grinned. "Nice to meet you too Rin!"  
  
The four ended up having lunch together, sitting on the wall of a tall flowerbed near the front of the school. Jakotsu and Rin discussed beauty techniques, with Sess translating and Bankotsu just staring, surprised his boyfriend knew all that girl stuff.  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]Hehe... I love Jakotsu/Bankotsu... There'll be more yaoi in the rest of the story between those two, so... yeah... Theyre just so cyuuute together! ^^; R&R please... Til next chapter![/AN] 


	5. Chapter 5

Kagura watched Sesshoumaru, Rin, Jakotsu, and Bankotsu as they sat around on the low stone wall talking, or signing in Rin's case, and eating. She was furious! Sesshoumaru ditched her for a mute and a couple of gays!  
'I've got to get rid of that little whore before she takes MY man...' Kagura thought angrily, glancing again from her hiding spot in a tree. 'I swear I'll kill that little mute... Then I'll have Sesshoumaru all to myself and I'll make him forget those... those gay freaks he calls friends... The only question is... how do I do it and not get caught'  
The crimson-eyed girl smirked a bit as she began plotting Rin's demise. Kagura could SEE the other girl's death clearly in her sick mind. Her smirk widened. 'Soon,' She thought. 'Soon'  
The lunch bell rang and Sess, Rin, Jakotsu and Bankotsu headed inside and seperated to go to class.  
Jakotsu purposely sat next to Sess during band, Bankotsu sitting not far away. Sesshoumaru began cleaning his trumpet, not even looking at the boy next to him. "What"  
"So? That Rin girl, do you like her?" Jakotsu gave the other a knowing smirk, intent on playing matchmaker.  
"I... I dunno... I like her as a friend..." Golden eyes stayed focused on the instrument in his lap.  
"Tell me the truth Sess, you like her as MORE than a friend dont you?" Jakotsu poked Sess in the shoulder, grinning.  
"Thats just it, I dont know Jakotsu... I've only known her since Monday"  
"I saw how you kept looking at her when you thought no one was looking! You're sweet on her!" The homosexual giggled like a schoolgirl.  
"Yeah, I saw too Sess. Boy, you really suck at being discrete." Bankotsu added, now sitting in the chair behind Sess and Jakotsu. Both could have sworn they saw Sesshoumaru's face turn a shade of red.  
"Youre blushiiiinnnggg!" Jakotsu fell over giggling and pointing. Bankotsu chuckled.  
"No more pixie sticks for you Ja-chan." The punk said with a laugh. Sess smiled a bit and shook his head. Those two could be so weird at times.  
"Maybe you should ask Rin to the movies Sess." Bankotsu said, helping Jakotsu off the floor and settling the smaller boy in his lap.  
"I dunno"  
"It doesnt have to be a date. It could be two friends going to see a movie." Jakotsu piped up.  
"Okay okay, I'll ask her tomorrow." Sess sighed in defeat. Those two just wouldnt give up.  
"Yay! ...Ooohhhh somebody's happy!" Jakotsu giggled and pokepoked his boyfriend, squirming a bit in the others lap. Bankotsu turned red and Sess whacked Jakotsu over the head lightly. "I didnt wanna know that"  
"Oh okay." The feminine boy stuck his tounge out at Sess and turned to his boyfriend. "Ban-chan, we have practice today, right"  
"Yeah, in Suikotsu's garage." Bankotsu replied.  
"Practice?" Sesshoumaru was utterly confused. As far as he knew, Jakotsu and Bankotsu werent in any after-school programs or anything.  
"Yeah. Me, Ja-chan, Suikotsu, Renkotsu, Ginkotsu, Mukotsu, and Kyokotsu started a band about a week ago; The Shichinin-Tai." Bankotsu said, nuzzling Jakotsu's neck lovingly.  
"Yup! Ban-chan's sort of the leader and I get to be lead singer!" The other said happily. "Do you want to come watch our practice Sess"  
"Sure, why not... What time and where exactly?" Sess had nothing better to do today so he figured he'd go.  
"6 pm tonight in Suikotsu's garage. Heres the address." Jakotsu took his pen from his folder and wrote Suikotsu's address on Sesshoumaru's hand. "Bring Rin if you want"  
"I'll ask her next time i see her today..." Sess muttered. Those two just didnt give up.  
After school, Rin grabbed her bag and went out a side door to avoid the crowds. Slinging the considerably light backpack over her shoulder, she silently thanked the Gods for her lack of homework.  
Cutting across the parking lot, she noticed Sesshoumaru about to get in to his white Jeep. He turned his head and saw Rin.  
"Rin! Hi!" He called out, running over.  
Rin waved and smiled.  
"So, Rin, Jakotsu and Bankotsu wanted... um... the both of us to go check out their band's practice. You... wanna go tonight"  
'Since when did I have a social life?' Rin thought to herself, before nodding to Sesshoumaru.  
"Great! Do you... need a ride? Because I dont mind picking you up"  
Sure, thanks. She signed.  
"Okay! Or maybe... we could get some dinner and then head over there instead of going back to your place?..." He asked, a hopeful look in his golden eyes.  
'Whoa whoa whoa... Okay, a hot, intelligent, absolutely wonderful guy is asking ME out to dinner? To quote Lina Inverse... LUCKYYYYY'  
Sure Sesshoumaru, that sounds nice. The mute couldnt keep a smile off her face.  
Sesshoumaru never really realized how much he liked it when she smiled. 'When she smiles... its like her whole face lights up...' For a moment, he found himself lost in those big brown eyes of hers.  
Rin tapping his shoulder startled him from his thoughts and he saw her hands move. So where do you want to eat  
"Ah... Anywheres fine"  
Doesnt matter to me  
"Doesnt matter to me either"  
And so they got into Sesshoumaru's Jeep, arguing playfully over who picked the restaraunt as he pulled out of the parking lot.  
The two had finally decided to get a pizza. Both slid into a booth in the pizza place, Rin sitting across from Sesshoumaru. A waitress came by and took their order, then left the two in silence. "So... ah... What are you doing Saturday?..." Sesshoumaru asked, breaking the air of silence between them. Rin never got the chance to answer though.  
"Oi! Sess!" A certain dark-haired, purple-eyed teenager shouted, jogging over to their table. Behind him trailed his punk girlfriend.  
"Hey Miroku, Sango." Sess said.  
"Hi Rin!" Sango greeted her best friend with a smile. "Mind if we join you two"  
No, not at all Sango, Miroku! Rin smiled widely.  
'Damn... Ah well...' Sess thought, mentally cursing Miroku and his girlfriend for interrupting.  
"I'm sitting by Rin!" Miroku shouted joyously and prepared to slide into the booth next to her.  
"Ohhhh no you dont hentai. YOU sit by Sesshoumaru." Sango said firmly, grabbing a handful of his dark purple long-sleeved shirt and yanking him away.  
"Yes dear..." Miroku hung his head in mock shame, eyes lit up with a playful sparkle. He did as he was told and sat next to Sesshoumaru while Sango sat by a silently giggling Rin. Sess chuckled. Those two were somethin else, that was for sure.  
"So Sess, whens the next track meet?" Miroku asked, them being on the track team together.  
"Not for a few weeks. I think its the Monday after Halloween." He answered. The waitress arrived with the pizza and the four dug in.  
Rin thought as she ate. 'Sesshoumaru's track meet is in a few weeks... I should go cheer him on. ...But I cant cheer for him... I can be there, but I cant cheer for him... Damn it! I hate being mute!' Rin silently cursed herself.  
"Rin?" Sesshoumaru blinked and reached over the table to poke her shoulder. "You about ready to go? Its almost time." She nodded a 'yes.  
"Time for what?" Miroku asked, finishing off his slice of canadian bacon pizza.  
"We're going to watch Bankotsu and Jakotsu's band, the Shichinin-tai, practice. You guys wanna come along? I'm sure they wont mind"  
"Sure! That sounds fun, right Miroku"  
"Yeah, okay"  
Rin smiled and stood. Sesshoumaru paid for the pizza and Rin and Sesshoumaru got into the white Jeep, while Sango and Miroku climbed into Miroku's parents' car.  
Sess pulled out and drove to Suikotsu's, Miroku following.  
The two vehicles pulled up in front of Suikotsu's place, a modest, 1 story white painted house with black trim and shutters. The garage was attached, the door raised to reveal the inside. Inside the garage, boxes of junk were piled in the corners to make room for the amps, instruments and band members, also the cooler full of sodas off to the side.  
Jakotsu looked up and noticed the two vehicles, recognizing Sesshoumaru's white Jeep. "Yo! Sess!" Sess and Rin climbed out of the jeep while Sango and Miroku got out of Miroku's parent's car.  
"Hey Ja-kun!" Sess replied.  
"Oi! Who're your friends?" Bankotsu asked, plugging in his amp.  
"This is Sango and that--" A resounding slap was heard throughout the neighborhood. "is her hentai boyfriend Miroku"  
Miroku grinned sheepishly, rubbing the bright red handprint on his cheek.  
"Damned hentai..." Sango muttered. Rin just giggled silently. The other band members filed into the garage and were joined by the onlookers. Sango and Rin sat on top of the cooler while Sess and Miroku leaned against the walls.  
Bankotsu, Jakotsu, and the other boys began warming up their instruments and voices, before starting the first song.  
Jakotsu stepped up to his mic and began to sing, his voice carrying throughout the area.  
Jakotsu, Renkotsu, Bankotsu, and Suikotsu's voices faded away, Kyokotsu and Mukotsu's instruments stopped. Rin was awestruck. Jakotsu had to have the best singing voice she had ever heard.  
Sango cheered and clapped enthusiastically, loving the dark lyrics. "Wow! That was AMAZING"  
Jakotsu grinned and bowed dramatically with a sweep of his arm, only to be nudged by his boyfriend. "Drama queen." Bankotsu said jokingly, smiling. The pretty-boy just giggled.  
"Lets do Left Behind next Ban-kun!" Renkotsu said, getting his instrument ready.  
"Okay, Left Behind it is." Bankotsu stated and picked up his instrument. Jakotsu moved to the mic and the band began.  
"You guys are really good." Sesshoumaru stated as the song ended.  
"Yeah! Seriously, you guys should make a CD or something!" Miroku stated enthusiastically. It was true; the Shichinin-Tai really WERE good.  
"Yep, you're DEFINATELY better than that one preppy pop group. You know em', they played at the last dance; the 'Dark Angels'. Pah, if they're dark, I'm a fuckin prep..." Sango said, the last part said in obvious disgust.  
Oh god, the Dark Angels were horrible... Rin signed. Sesshoumaru translated for the band and Miroku.  
"Yeah they were." Renkotsu said, recalling the Halloween ball, when the trio of Mai Kujaku, Anzu Mazaki, and Shizuka Katsuya sang a bunch of preppy love songs, all clad in matching tube-tops and mini-skirts, though in different colors.  
Bankotsu, Jakotsu, and Kyokotsu shuddered at the thought.  
"Hey I'm on the dance committee, maybe I can convince everyone else to let you guys play at the Halloween dance! Though you might have some competition; Amelia Seyruun is on the comittee too and she's probably going to try to persuade the rest to let Lord of Nightmares play." Sango said, standing up.  
"Lord of Nightmares?" Sess was obviously confused. He didnt really know any of the highschool bands in the town.  
"Yeah. That punk rock band of Lina Inverse's. Gourry Gabriev, that Zel person, Xelloss Metallium, and Fillia UlCopt are in it too. Lina and Xelloss are pretty good, but the rest of them arent the best." Miroku stated, nodding sagely.  
"Oh, them"  
"Yeah"  
"So you really think you could get us an audition at least, Sango-san?" Jakotsu asked the punk girl, eyes shining.  
"Of course"  
"YAY!" Jakotsu began to do his trademark victory dance around Bankotsu laughing like a giddy school girl.  
Bankotsu and several others in the room snickered or laughed at his behavior. Jakotsu just beamed. 


	6. Chapter 6

[AN]Whee! I dont have school today so that means... I CAN WRITE! YAY! ^_^ Wow, I got a lot of reviews... *starry eyes* THANK YOU ALL! And a big thanks to the people who have me on their favorite authors lists! Now for review responses...  
  
SHINKINKA: I love Jakotsu too! =D Hes like... SO COOL! And Jakotsu/Bankotsu rocks! Yes, it is pretty rare... Thats why I put them in my story! =D Dont worry, there will be LOTS of cute Ban/Jak moments. ^^;  
  
evil squeede: Thanks! ^^ Oh wow, another Jak/Ban fan! =D YAY! It really sucks that the Shichinin-tai arent in the series until like... episode 102 or so... I really really really need box set 7 ; I havent seen any but Kyokotsu so I just know what I read online too... And yes, they are sweet ^^;  
  
Cookie6: *inches away, grinning sheepishly* Dont hate me later... ^^ Eheh...  
  
hush: Mage is glad hush likes it. NONO MAIM MAGE! oo;;; MAGE UPDATE! MAGE UPDATE OFTEN! oo;;;  
  
rin-chan: Arigatou! Heres the update! I love that song too... Linkin Park roxxors... Though theyre third on my list after Slipknot and System of a Down...   
  
ElectricRain: Arigatou! ^^  
  
kari: *blushes* Thanks... That has to be one of the best compliments I've ever gotten... ^^;;;  
  
Angel64: Heh, yes... Feel the hate! Kagura must die. ; *doesnt like Kagura* She killed the wolfies v.v and she stalks Sess! ; He'll ask her on a date soon... Heh... ^^; Oh, good! I've been wanting to read the next chapter to Fragile Heart!  
  
Shinnyu Kudzu: Oh your fic wasnt pathetic! It was very very good. I liked all the fluff. Oo; Are you kidding?! I LOVE ROCK! Heh, yes, Ja-chan did seem like a lead singer type. ^^ Youre lucky if you have a Hot Topic nearby. ; I have to get all my stuff off line since my dad's too lazy to drive me to OKC... Yes, you really did inspire me. ^^; Anyway, heres the update!  
  
Naoko2: Arigatou! ^^; I had always wanted to read a Highschool AU that was mainly about Sess and Rin too, but I couldnt find any, so thats where Wish Upon a Star came from. ^^ Thanks for leaving such a nice review!  
  
Ninetales122: Heres the next update, and thanks for reviewing! ^^  
  
Whew... Lots of responses to write... But thats a good thing! ^^ Now... read on![/AN]  
  
===============================================  
  
After the Shichinin-Tai's practice, Sango and Miroku got into Miroku's parent's car, waving a good bye to the band. Miroku pulled out and drove off.  
  
Rin turned to the band and signed slowly, *Thank you for inviting us to watch your practice. I really enjoyed it.* Sess translated for her.  
  
"No problem Rin!" Jakotsu said happily. "You and Sess can come by anytime."  
  
*Thanks.* The smile on Rin's face spread.   
  
"We'd better get going. Its getting late." Sesshoumaru said. "Seeya guys at school tomorrow." Rin nodded. The two walked to Sesshoumaru's Jeep and got in, the silver-haired senior pulling out and driving south, towards Rin's place.  
  
'That was fun... Sesshoumaru and everyone else are so nice... I really do like spending time with Sess...' She thought to herself, sneaking glances at Sesshoumaru while his eyes were focused on the road. 'Wait...' Honey brown eyes widened. 'Damn! I forgot to call mom! She's going to freak!'  
  
Rin began banging her head on the dash board, mentally cursing herself with every smack.  
  
"Rin? Are you okay?" Sesshoumaru glanced over at her, looking rather worried. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Rin lifted her head from the dashboard. *I forgot to call my mom to tell her where I was going...*  
  
"Oh... Dont worry, I'll explain to her that it was my fault. I dont want you to get in trouble."  
  
*You dont have to...*  
  
"Its okay, really." His eyes focused on the road again and soon he pulled into the driveway at the Higurashis' residence. Rin thanked him for the ride and got out, pulling her bag out.  
  
"I'll seeya tomorrow... Rin..."  
  
*Yeah, seeya...* She flashed him another smile and jogged inside. Sess sighed a bit as he pulled out of the driveway; tomorrow suddenly seemed far off and distant.  
  
~*~  
  
Rin walked inside, only to be met by her little brother Souta. She could tell the young boy was trying to look important and intimidating with his arms crossed like that, but it just made him look more adorable.  
  
"You're lucky mom's been out all day Rin-neechan!" He said. "Otherwise you woulda been in a lot of trouble."  
  
*You arent going to tell on me, are you Souta?* She signed, dropping her bag by the door.  
  
"I'll be quiet if you play a few rounds of DBZ Budokai with me!" Souta said happily, brightening.  
  
Rin chuckled quietly. Souta always wanted to spend time with her and Kagome, but hardly got the chance to anymore.  
  
*Of course Souta.*  
  
"YAY!!" Souta beamed and took his sister's hand, fairly dragging her to the PS2 hooked up in the living room. He put in the game as his sister picked up a controller. He took the other, and they began a round with Souta as Trunks and Rin as Android 18, Souta winning. (A/N: Reminds me of when me and my brother play ^^ 'cept I always yell at him and attempt to punch his lights out when he beats me...)  
  
~*~  
  
Later that evening, Kagome returned home, hanging her jacket on the peg by the door. "Rin, Souta, I'm back!"  
  
Rin and Souta were still playing on the PS2 and neither looked up when Kagome walked into the living room, boots clicking on the wood floors.  
  
"Hey Kago-neechan, how'd your date go?" Souta asked almost mindlessly, staring at the screen. He had already beaten Rin close to 50 times, while her victories stood at a mere 2.  
  
"It was fine Souta." The older girl sat on the couch, taking off her boots and socks. "After Inuyasha and I finish college, I seriously think we might be getting married."  
  
"Mm, married, thats nice." Souta continued to stare at the screen, pressing buttons furiously. Rin's hands were occupied at the moment, so she didnt join in on the 'conversation'.  
  
"I take it moms not home?" Kagome asked, glancing around. Rin nodded an affirmative answer, then snapped her fingers in frustration when Souta beat her yet again.  
  
Kagome padded into the kitchen to start dinner while her two younger siblings put Pokemon Puzzle League in the N64 and began to play that. Rin was much better at this game, seeing as she had quick eyes and quicker hands. (A/N: Reminds me of me again Oo;)  
  
~*~  
  
Friday, Sesshoumaru grabbed his lunch out of his locker. 'Almost 6th period... I'm going to do it today; i'm going to ask Rin to the movies.' He closed the locker door and heard the lock click, then headed to the front doors. Rin and Jakotsu wanted to have lunch under the sakura trees in the front today, and of course, he and Bankotsu had complied.  
  
Sess turned his head, hearing a cheerful "Oi! Sesshou!" It was Kouga.  
  
"Hey Kouga." He said, nodding a greeting.   
  
"So where you off to? To have lunch with your girlfriend?" A grin spread over the wolf youkai's face.  
  
"Rin is not my girlfriend Kouga." Sess rolled his eyes, fixing to whack the other boy over the head with his lunch bag.  
  
"Oooohhh, isnt Rin that mute chick?"  
  
"Yes she is."  
  
"So why're you having lunch with her?" Kouga inquired, poking Sess in the shoulder.  
  
"Because she's my friend." The silver-haired youkai said and started out the doors.  
  
"Kouga-kun!" A female voice shouted from behind him. Sess turned and saw a girl with reddish-brown hair running to Kouga. The girl had a violet flower stuck behind her ear and was wearing a form-fitting white shirt and blue jeans with a purple denim jacket.  
  
"Hey Ayame!" Kouga grinned and gave the female a hug, lifting her off her feet.  
  
Sess raised an eyebrow. "Who's that?"  
  
"Sess, Ayame. Ayame, Sess. Ayame's my girlfriend." Kouga said, smiling and putting his arm around her. Ayame nodded.  
  
"Ah, I see. Do you two want to have lunch with me, Rin, Jakotsu and Bankotsu?" Sess asked, pushing open the double door.  
  
"Sure!" Kouga took Ayame's hand and followed after Sess. Sesshoumaru jogged to where Rin, Jakotsu, and Bankotsu were already seated underneath some cherry trees.  
  
He sat next to Rin, who was across from Bankotsu, who had Jakotsu in his lap. Kouga and Ayame sat to the side so that they formed sort of a semi-circle.  
  
Rin waved to Ayame, who smiled and said, "Hi Rin-chan!"  
  
"So this is Rin." Kouga stated, glancing over at said girl.   
  
"Yeah, Rin this is my friend Kouga." Sess took a sandwich out of his bag and bit into it. Rin nibbled on her apple as a coversation about the Halloween dance was started.  
  
"So Sess, who're you taking to the dance?" Bankotsu asked, popping an orange slice into his mouth.  
  
"Yeah, who? I've got Ayame, Bankotsu has Jakotsu, your brother has Kagome, Miroku has Sango; you're the only one of us who's actually still single!" Kouga added, nodding.  
  
Rin felt her spirits drop. There was no way Sesshoumaru would want to ask HER to a date. He probably didnt even want to be friends with her... 'He just feels sorry for me...' She thought, brown eyes downcast.   
  
"I..." Sess started.  
  
'Here it comes...'  
  
"I dont really know, guys."  
  
'Well, at least he's not taking someone else that I know of...' Rin thought, then mentally smacked herself. 'I need to stop being selfish. If he takes another girl to the dance, I should be happy for them...'  
  
Kouga shrugged. "Okay then. Do you have a date yet Rin-chan?" He asked, glancing over at her. Rin shook her head in a negative answer, blushing slightly.  
  
"Rin, I'm sure you're going to find a date, but... just in case you dont, you're still going right? Sango said she'd get the committee to let us play..." Jakotsu said, putting on his cutest puppy eyes.  
  
*Yes, I'm going no matter what.* She signed to him; Sess translated for her.  
  
"Thats good!" Jakotsu smiled happily.  
  
~*~  
  
Kagura watched Sess from behind an old oak as he, Kouga and Ayame sat next to the 'rejects' as she had so un-lovingly nicknamed Jakotsu, Bankotsu, and Rin.  
  
'Damn those rejects... Keeping my Sesshy-dear away from me...' She thought bitterly, crimson eyes narrowing in disgust.  
  
She heard the topic of the dance being brought up, and heard Bankotsu and Kouga ask Sess who he was taking to the dance.  
  
'Me of course, you idiots! I'll have Sesshy-dear if it kills somebody...'  
  
She heard Sess say he didnt know, and smirked. 'Good, so he isnt taking the mute that I know of.'  
  
The subject turned to wether Rin had a date or not; Kagura continued to listen in, though she wasnt interested.  
  
~*~  
  
Jakotsu, Bankotsu, Kouga, and Ayame finished their lunches and headed off in seperate directions; Kouga and Ayame to go find Ginta and Hakkaku, and Jakotsu and Bankotsu probably to make out. Sess and Rin stayed behind, finishing off their food.  
  
Meanwhile, Sess was currently fighting with himself. 'Now would be the perfect time to ask... God damn it, just do it! But i cant... No I have to! But I cant! I HAVE TO! eep... okay...'  
  
"Oi, Rin?" He asked, tossing his paper lunch sack into a trash can near by. Rin looked up at him, letting him know she was listening.  
  
"Do you... maybe... um... ah... wannagotothemovieswithmesometime?" He said quickly. Rin blinked.  
  
*Could you repeat that?*  
  
"Do you want to go to the movies with me?" Sesshoumaru repeated at a normal pace, glancing at her with hopeful eyes.  
  
*Sure, when?*  
  
He let out a whoosh of air, not realizing that he had been holding his breath. "Uh... This Saturday? At 7?"  
  
*Okay!* Rin smiled happily, brown eyes sparkling with pure joy. He smiled back.  
  
"Great!"  
  
~*~  
  
Kagura watched these new developments, fuming. Her makeup covered face was tinted red with anger. 'How dare she agree to go on a date with MY MAN?!'  
  
The crimson eyed cheerleader turned and stormed into the school, a plot already forming in her demented mind.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru and Rin walked inside as the warning bell rang and went to the special needs classroom for their Friday session, both feeling happier than either of them had felt in a while.  
  
She sat at her desk and Sess pulled a chair up to it. They both spoke in sign language today, so as not to draw attention to themselves. If just one person found out, rumors would spread like wild fire.  
  
*So what movie do you want to see?* Sess signed to her, his fingers feeling a bit akward since he hadnt done this in a while.  
  
*I dont know, it doesnt really matter.*  
  
*Wanna see Anger Management?*  
  
*Okay, that sounded like a good movie. I love Adam Sandler movies, dont you?*  
  
*Yeah, he's a comedy genius!*  
  
*I agree completely!*  
  
Their signed conversation turned now, to Adam Sandler and the various movies he starred in. (Quick A/N: I know Anger Management isnt playing in theatres in real life anymore, but it's one of my favorite movies so XP My world, my rules. ;)  
  
~*~  
  
After school, Sesshoumaru gave Rin a ride home like he had been doing all this week; both were greatly looking forward to tomorrow.  
  
~*~  
  
After school had ended, Kagura got in her expensive white car and drove, not home, but to an old, abandoned warehouse in a bad neighborhood.  
  
She walked inside it cautiously, designer shoes clicking softly on the floor. Keeping her voice soft, she called out, "Are you here?"  
  
A male voice answered her, "Aa, I am. What do you want?" Kagura looked up to find a figure shrouded in shadows, seated ontop of a pile of boxes.  
  
"How are you doing?" She asked softly.  
  
"Not bad, considering the situation." The shadowed man stated.  
  
"Thats good... Um... Could you maybe do a favor for me? Please?"   
  
"Like what?"  
  
"I need you to take care of something for me..." And so Kagura began to explain her plot to the shadowed man...  
  
~*~  
  
Kagura brought out her house keys and unlocked the front door, stepping into a dimly lit living room. She noted a figure asleep on the couch and sighed; her mother was drunk again. She took off her shoes and left them by the door, so as not to accidentally wake her mother and incur her wrath.  
  
She quietly went upstairs to the room her three brothers shared and peeked inside.  
  
Hearing the door crack open, the shaking 4 year old shrank back into the corner, white bangs covering his eyes.  
  
Kagura spoke softly so as not to alarm him, "Haku-chan? Hakudoshi, its just me... Kagura..." She stepped into the room and picked up her littlest brother, cradling him in her arms. The crying toddler sobbed into his sister's shoulder.  
  
"Kagu-neesama..."  
  
"Shh, shh, its okay... Its okay..." Sitting down on the bed, she rocked her brother, singing softly to him. Hakudoshi's sobs slowly reduced to tiny sniffles.  
  
"Now, are you okay?" She asked, gently brushing his bangs out of his eyes. Hakudoshi nodded and huggled his precious 'Kagu-neesama'. "I bet mom forgot to feed you today, didnt she?"  
  
"Yah..." Hakudoshi nodded sadly and sniffled again. Kagura smiled a bit and stood, still holding the 4 year old.  
  
"Then lets go make some dinner... Do you know where Juuro-kun and Kagero-kun went to?" Hakudoshi shook his head as a negative. "Out with the gang again I assume..." A sigh escaped her lips. "I guess we shouldnt expect them until late huh?"  
  
"Okee Kagu-neesama... Food now?"  
  
She chuckled a bit and quietly headed to the kitchen. "Yes, food now."  
  
~*~  
  
After setting Hakudoshi on the tile floor at her feet, Kagura began searching the cabinets for anything edible. She didnt find much; just a can of peaches.  
  
'This wont do...' She sighed. The kitchen was pretty much empty. 'Obviously mom forgot to do any grocery shopping... That is SO like her!' The teenager found her temper flare. She HATED her mother! Mrs. Hanasaki (Kagura's mom) had been like this since the horrible chain of events that occured in the household about 4 years back, when she was about a month pregnant with Hakudoshi. Kanna had been around 17 or 18, Kagura had been 14, the twins Juuromaru and Kageromaru were 12, Goshinki was 11, and Muso was 10.  
  
Their father had died in a car crash and after, Mrs. Hanasaki was a depressed wreck. But in an even worse state, was their older brother Naraku. He started smoking, and he got drunk almost every night. One night...  
  
Kagura felt tears welling up in her eyes. It hurt so much to think of Naraku, and her younger brothers...  
  
When Kagura had gotten home from softball practice, she had found the dead bodies of Goshinki and Muso, laying in their bedroom in a puddle of blood.  
  
She remembered that she had screamed and screamed; the police and doctors that came had to inject her with tranquilizer to calm her down. Her little brothers were dead, and Naraku was nowhere to be found...  
  
Since then, Kagura had stumbled across his hiding place, an old abandoned warehouse outside of town. Naraku felt so guilty about what he had done to his own siblings... He had looked so pathetic that Kagura couldnt be angry with him, even though she wanted to be. He had been drunk, he didnt know what he was doing... She kept telling herself. But the pain was still there...  
  
After the incident, she clung tightly to her popularity and her clique; that, and her siblings were all she had left.  
  
'Its no good thinking about that... Its all in the past...' She blinked away the tears threatening to spill from her crimson eyes, and put on a smile just for her littlest brother.  
  
"What do you say we go to McDonalds?" She asked, picking him up. Hakudoshi cheered happily, and they set out.  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]Well I bet everyone's starting to feel sorry for Kagura after that last scene... I guess I cant make a character a pure bitch... I kinda feel that if a character is going to be like... super-cruel, he/she should have reasons for doing it... *shrug* but thats just me... Anyway, R&R please?[/AN] 


	7. Chapter 7

[AN]Arrgh... This fic is gonna be the death of me... What the hell am I thinkin getting up at 6 AM to update before school? Oh well... Mustnt keep reviewers waiting... *yawns and stretches* Review responses now... Then coffee... Yes, coffee...  
  
Review Responses:   
  
WingsofIsis: Yes, Kagura hasnt had a very nice life... That made her not right in the head, which makes her do badbad things... Yes, there WILL be LOTS more Ja/Ban! =D  
  
Naoko2: I never even considered that situation. Oo; I just couldnt do that to poor Rin-chan... Yes, I'm a hardcore Sess/Rin fan too! =D Here's the update, I'm glad they make your days at the evil hell-hole known as school a little bit better... I know writing this and thinking up ideas lightens up my day. Oo; especially in... *shiver* algebra...  
  
hush: heh Oo; Mage is glad hush-san likes. Kagura's reasons are diluted and mindless? Oo; hm... I thought not being right in the head due to loss of family members and a currently disfunctional family was a good reason to be a bitch...  
  
Ninetales122: Yes, I dont believe in anyone being a bitch for no reason. *shrug*   
  
Cookie6: Dun worry, I would never hurt Rin... too badly... Eheh... Sesshou-sama would kill me mercilessly if I did oo;;;  
  
duckknight: Updating, updating. ^^; Mage is glad people likes... And yes, I have gotten over my writers block! =D IC-kun finally got up off his lazy ass and did something. *glares evilly at her idea muse*  
  
Anyway, heres Chapter 7! The first date part 1!!  
  
===============================================  
  
Rin sat in a grassy meadow, on a large rock beside a stream. Flowers bloomed rapidly around where she sat. She turned, hearing a rustle behind her.  
  
Sesshoumaru appeared, silvery hair swaying gently with the wind; grasses swaying about at his feet. Golden eyes saw Rin and he smiled, walking towards her.  
  
Rin stood and looked into Sesshoumaru's eyes, finding herself lost in the golden pools. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but of course, no words came.  
  
"Rin..." She heard his breathless whisper and felt strong arms wrap around her small frame. Sesshoumaru pulled her close to him and tilted her chin up to look at him with a clawed hand.  
  
Rin wanted to say something, anything, but she couldnt. He tilted his head and leaned down, closing some of the distance between their faces. Their noses touched, and just when Sesshoumaru was about to claim her lips with his own...  
  
Rin woke up. 'It was just a dream... A very real-feeling dream, but a dream nonetheless...'  
  
Catching her breath, she thought, 'Just a dream, just a dream... Dont get so worked up, it was just a dream...'  
  
"RIN-NEECHAAAANNNN!" Souta practically screamed, running into her room and leaping up onto her bed beside her. "Will you watch cartoons with me? Pleeeeeeease?"  
  
Rin rubbed her eyes sleepily and nodded. Souta beamed and ran back downstairs.  
  
The mute got out of bed and changed out of her night clothes, boxer shorts and an old t-shirt. She threw on a casual black t-shirt that said "Those who are different change the world, those who are the same keep it that way" and a pair of jeans before heading downstairs.  
  
Rin found her brother in the kitchen, pouring two bowls of Cinnamon Crunch Crispix. (A/N: I was eating the same cereal when writing this chapter...)  
  
*Thanks Souta.* Rin signed, smiling.   
  
"No problem!" Souta grabbed his bowl and took it into the living room, where he sat on a pillow on the floor in front of the tv. Rin took the other bowl and sat beside him.  
  
Kagome padded into the living room an hour later, still in her pjs. Sitting on the couch, she mumbled a 'good morning' and watched an episode of Shaman King with her siblings.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi stepped out of the kitchen and glanced at each of her kids in turn. "So what's everybody doing today?"  
  
"Nothin..." Souta answered, staring at the screen as Yoh and Amidamaru integrated on the show.  
  
"Inuyasha and I are probably going to the park today..." Kagome stated, looking at her mother.  
  
*Im... going on a date... at 7 tonight...* Rin signed, blushing a bit.  
  
"Ohhhh! A date! With who?" Kagome asked, grinning.  
  
*Sesshoumaru...* Her older sister's eyes widened with shock and... horror?  
  
"SESSHOUMARU?! He's such a jerk!"  
  
*No hes not! He's very sweet!*  
  
Mrs. Higurashi just stood there, staring and Souta watched as his sisters' argument commenced, suddenly finding this much more interesting than Shaman King...  
  
~*~  
  
The sisters had tired of arguing by noon, and Kagome had agreed to leave Rin alone about her choice in men. The eldest Higurashi sibling had gone up to her room a while ago to listen to a new CD she had gotten yesterday, Souta was playing video games, and Rin was just lying on the couch.  
  
'Maybe Sango's online...' She thought to herself. Getting up and padding out of the room, she grabbed a strawberry soda and sat down at the computer.  
  
The mute logged in as SilencedSongbird and was happy to note that her best friend was online. It wasnt long before she got an instant message from DemonKittyKat.  
  
++DemonKittyKat: Hi Rin!  
  
SilencedSongbird: Hi Sango-chan! Whats with the name?  
  
DemonKittyKat: I dunno. I was playing with Kirara when I signed up.  
  
SilencedSongbird: Ah, I see.  
  
DemonKittyKat: So whats up?  
  
SilencedSongbird: Not much... I've got a date tonight...  
  
DemonKittyKat: REALLY?! *girlish squeal* Sesshoumaru finally asked you out?! ^^  
  
SilencedSongbird: -giggle- Yeah... He's really nice...  
  
DemonKittyKat: Ooohhh! Lets go to the mall! You need something to wear! Where's he taking you?  
  
SilencedSongbird: movies  
  
DemonKittyKat: ^_^ Great! I'll be over in 5!  
  
SilencedSongbird: Okay Sango-chan, seeya then.  
  
DemonKittyKat has logged out.++  
  
Rin logged out also and dashed upstairs to get her purse.  
  
Picking up her purse, which still contained some cash, she noted thankfully, Rin went outside to wait for Sango.  
  
The car she knew as Miroku's parents' pulled into the driveway and Sango waved at her from the passengers seat. She got in the back seat and signed hello's to both Sango and Miroku, who was driving.  
  
"Before you ask, Miroku's only coming along so he can carry the bags and drive us and junk." Sango stated, nodding sagely. Rin giggled silently at Miroku's groan of protest.  
  
Reaching the closest mall, he stopped in front of the doors to let Rin and Sango out, then went off to find a parking place.  
  
The two girls flitted from store to store, trying things on and occasionally buying stuff.  
  
"Ohh, this skirt would look so good on you Rin!" Sango exclaimed, holding up a long, dark denim skirt with a slit up the leg. It was casual, yet stylish.  
  
*That is nice.* Rin signed, taking the skirt. The two found a top to go with it, a form-fitting red sleeveless shirt with a lighter red plaid overshirt thing unbuttoned, and a pair of shoes.  
  
Rin took the outfit into the dressing room and changed into it, then stepped out to show Sango.  
  
"Perfect!" Sango squealed happily. "You look great Rin!"  
  
"Yes, she looks better than great." Miroku stated, walking up behind Sango. A pinkish color tinted Rin's cheeks as she smiled.  
  
She purchased the outfit and she and Sango dragged Miroku around to a few more stores, getting clothes and jewelry and such. Poor Miroku was left carrying the bags.  
  
~*~  
  
After the girls' excursion, Rin was dropped off at her house. Sango wished her good luck on her date and she and Miroku drove off. She carried her new things into the house and glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.   
  
'5:30 already? I'd better go get ready...' Rin thought, heading upstairs.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, running a comb through his silver hair. It was about 6:30 and Sesshoumaru was taking the time to make sure everything was perfect.  
  
'Okay, I've got my wallet, I look okay...' He glanced down at his clothes; a black long-sleeved System of a Down shirt and jeans. He checked once again to make sure he had his wallet and headed downstairs.  
  
He was stopped at the bottom of the stairs by his step-mother Mitsuko. "Hey Sesshoumaru, where ya goin?"  
  
'Curseth step-mothers...' "I've got a date tonight."  
  
"Ohh thats nice. You hardly ever get out anymore. So who's the lucky girl?" She asked her step-son happily.  
  
"Rin Higurashi..." He muttered, trying to get past her and out the door. Mitsuko just didnt seem to want to let him go yet though.  
  
"Kagome's sister? How nice! You'll have to invite her over for dinner sometime!"  
  
"I've got to go pick up Rin... I'm gonna be late." Sesshoumaru mumbled, brushing past his step-mother and out the front doors, after grabbing a jacket of course. Reaching the garage, he got into his Jeep and was about to pull out when...  
  
"SHIT! WHERE ARE MY KEYS?!" Now, Sesshoumaru usually wasnt one to curse, but missing your car keys on the night of your big date is serious. "DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!"  
  
So the now very pissed off teenager stormed back into the house and straight up to his half-brother's room, where he found Inuyasha laying on his bed and jingling a set of keys. Not just any keys, no; these were, yep, you guessed it, Sesshoumaru's car keys.  
  
"DAMN IT INUYASHA! GIVE ME MY KEYS!"  
  
"Say the magic word!" Inuyasha smirked, obviously amused by his half-brother's rare fit of rage.  
  
Sesshoumaru crossed his arms and glared at Inuyasha. If looks could kill, the hanyou would have been dead 10 times over. "Give-me-my-car-keys-and-I-wont-rip-out-your-small-intestine-and-feed-it-to-you-with-ketchup. How's that for a magic word?"  
  
"Dude... Too graphic..." Was a wide-eyed Inuyasha's only response. Using Inuyasha's distraction to his advantage, Sesshoumaru snatched his keys out of the other's hand with a 'Yoink!' and dashed out.  
  
Running out to the garage and getting in his Jeep, he started it up and pulled out.  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome jogged to the door when she heard a knock and opened it, glancing at the person standing on the porch. She and Sesshoumaru regarded each other coldly.  
  
"Sesshoumaru."  
  
"Kagome."  
  
"So what do you want?" Kagome asked. Her and Sesshoumaru weren't really on good terms.  
  
"I'm here to pick up Rin." He answered.  
  
"I'll go get her." Kagome stepped over to the bottom of the stairs and called up, "RIN! THE JACKASS IS HERE TO PICK YOU UP!"  
  
The silver-haired youkai growled a bit at the 'jackass' part. Humming, Kagome skipped out of sight as Sesshoumaru stepped in and stood near the stairs.  
  
Then he saw Rin come down. She was wearing a long, denim skirt with a slit up the leg, a red tank top, lighter red plaid overshirt, and sandals with butterflies on them. Her hair was mostly down with a small ponytail on the side of her head and he noticed she wore no makeup.  
  
'Thats okay,' He thought. 'Makeup would only mask her natural beauty anyway...'  
  
"Ah... Hey Rin..." Sesshoumaru greeted her with a smile. "You look nice..." His comment earned a light blush from Rin and she signed a 'thank you'.  
  
'She's cute when she blushes...' "So, um... ready to go?" He asked, trying to clear his mind of all thoughts of Rin's beauty.  
  
Rin nodded a yes and the two got into Sesshoumaru's Jeep.  
  
~*~  
  
The drive was made in silence, Sesshoumaru focusing on the road and Rin watching the scenery fly by. The closest theater was in the next town, a 20 minute drive.  
  
'She really is beautiful...' He thought, sneaking a quick glance at his date. 'I like her... I like her a lot... I wonder what she thinks about me...'  
  
'I'm actually going on a date with Sesshoumaru... Why though? Why me when he could have just about any girl in school? Ah well... I should enjoy this while it lasts... I really do like him a lot...' Rin thought to herself, gazing outside.  
  
The time seemed to fly and before the two knew it, they had reached the theater.  
  
Sesshoumaru paid for the tickets and, after getting popcorn and drinks, found the theater in which 'Anger Management' was playing. It was almost empty tonight, except for another couple and a lady with her kids.   
  
'Yes!' He smiled triumphantly at seeing the loveseat thing was free. (A/N: The theater near where I live really does have these things Oo;;) He walked to that row and looked to Rin. "Is here okay?"  
  
She nodded and they sat down as the movie started.  
  
~*~  
  
A half hour later, Rin was totally absorbed in the movie. Sesshoumaru was paying more attention to his date though.  
  
'Should I? Would she slap me if I did that? Well, I guess I wont know until I try, right? Yeah...' Slowly, he lifted his arm and laid it on top of the chair back. Rin didnt move. 'So far so good...'  
  
He gave it 10 minutes, then his arm carefully slipped around his date's shoulders. Rin tensed slightly, glanced over at Sess shyly, and relaxed, turning her gaze to the screen again.  
  
'Yes! She didnt slap me!' He looked back at the screen also, getting in to the movie again.  
  
A half hour later, he blushed a bit when he felt Rin scoot closer to him and lean on him. Sesshoumaru was glad the theater was dark so no one would see the red tinting his face. He didnt know it, but Rin was blushing too.  
  
'He's so warm... This feels so right...' The mute girl thought, smiling to herself.  
  
'Her skin is so soft...' He lightly rubbed the uncovered skin on her arm, leaning his head over hers. The silver-haired youkai took in a deep breath; the smell of jasmine and waterlilies reached his sensitive nose. 'And she smells so good...'  
  
The two sat there like that until the credits began to roll on screen. Both harboring slight feelings of disappointment, they rose and left the theater.  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]Review? Onegai? *drinks coffee* Ahhh... I worship whoever invented this stuff...[/AN] 


	8. Chapter 8

[AN]Mage: Mage is sorry for the late update... Mage meant to put this up early this morning but SOMEONE *evil glare at mage's mom* didnt wake me up until 7... By the time I had written the rest of my review responses and answered my email, I was already late for school.   
  
Ashura: Its your own fault Mage-chan...  
  
Mage: HOW IS IT MY FAULT?!  
  
Ashura: You dont type fast enough. ^^  
  
Mage: .....I hate you. --;  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Liz.Q: ^^ Glad ya like! There IS going to be more Ja/Ban later on, but at the time I was trying to focus on Sess and Rin. If I try to focus on more than one couple at the same time, it turns out all sucky... (Ashura: Ooohhh talking plushie... *pokes Liz.Q's sess plushie* How come yours doesnt talk Mage? Oo; / Mage: Hell if I know... *starts shaking her own plushie* TALK DAMN YOU TALK!)  
  
Naoko2: Heh, homework should burn in hell... Oo; You say psycho like its a bad thing. *giggles maniacally* Sleep is overrated! MWAHAHAHAHA! *is on a caffiene high currently* You really think I'm keeping the cast In Character? ^^ I'm flattered! Heh, I had SO much fun writing the car keys scene... I'm glad you're getting into my fic ^^; Heres part 2 of the date!  
  
Ilona: Arigatou! ^^ *giggles* (Ashura: Geez Mage-san, have a little modesty will ya? Humbleness is a virtue or somethin like that, I dunno... I aint Christian... / Mage: *shrugs* I aint either so dont start that Christian stuff on me...)  
  
WingsofIsis: Thanks! Yes, the car keys scene WAS kinda crazy, but I thought it'd be something Inu might actually do. ^^ Ahh the modified magic word... My favorite death threat...  
  
hush: Ohhhhh... oops... ^^ I didnt quite understand what you meant I guess... (Ashura: Because she's a small-minded 13 year old... SHES STILL A FREAKIN PUP IN YOUKAI YEARS! And I'm stuck babysitting her half the time... --;;) ANYWAY, as Mage was saying, Mage didnt quite understand... But Mage understands now! Kagura isnt as intelligent as hush-san, so she thinks in very primitive ways: Rin takes what Kagura wants (without knowing even), so Kagura thinks she must eliminate the threat to her 'territory' so to speak... Oh, Mage likes Hush-san's way of thinking just fine. Oo; Hush-san is much smarter than Kagura-baka... (Kagura glares at Mage and mutters obscenities before being knocked unconsious by Ashura)  
  
Cricket-chan: *blushes and giggles* I'm flattered! Arigatou! Mage's story is good, yesssss... (Ashura: Maaaage... --; What have we learned about modesty? / Mage: Modesty? What dat? / Ashura: *mutters about baka human pups that never listen to their elders*)  
  
SP777: Hey look Ashy-sama! ^^ Someone likes reading our verbal wars! *giggles* *Ashura rolls his eyes and whacks Mage over the head* Ashura: Calm down wouldja? Caffiene is so NOT good for human pups like yourself... Mage: Since when are you my parent-figure? --; Ashura: Since I decided that you need to be raised properly... --; Mage: *unenthusiastically* yay... my new daddy's a gay fruitcake... guess he's better than my redneck biological father... *shrug*  
  
Cookie6: The chapters are long for my writing... *shrug* Mage is glad you like! ^^  
  
ElectricRain: ^^; Arigatou!  
  
Wakadori Ramen: ^^; Fluffyshipping 4ever! And um... uh... *blinkblink* I honestly dont know why Ayame was in there... *anime sweatdrop* I never actually thought of a reason because Kouga and Ayame arent really a huge part of the story...  
  
duckknight: ^^; Arigatouuuuuu! You're so nice, always taking the time to email me...  
  
evil squeede: Interesting. Oo; Caffine always makes me like... scarily hyper... ^^ Wow, that was one of the nicest compliments I've ever gotten... I try to focus more on the couples people like, but dont really write about much... Though for some reason I aint focusing on Kouga/Ayame... *shrug* Oh well... And maybe after Kagura gets whats comin to her (if she ever does stupid writers block) I'll hook her up with Manten or someone... *snickers at the thought of Kagura/Manten*  
  
Ninetales122: ^^; Glad ya like. Here's the update.  
  
===============================================  
  
Sesshoumaru and Rin walked across the now-dark parking lot together silently. Rin felt a strange tingle as she felt his hand brush up against hers, and hesitantly she laced her fingers in his own, blushing.  
  
'Oh my god... I cant believe this is happening...' She thought to herself, feeling her spirits rise.  
  
'This feels... so right...' Sesshoumaru thought, as he gently squeezed the small hand grasped in his larger, clawed one. He was glad for the darkness; at least Rin couldnt see him blushing, even if it was only a little. They reached the parked Jeep and hesitantly let go of each other's hand. It was only then that...  
  
"Ah damn it! I forgot my jacket..." Sesshoumaru smiled sheepishly, putting his hand behind his head. "I'm going to go get that... Wont take me but a minute." Rin nodded and the silver-haired man sprinted off back into the movie theater.  
  
~*~  
  
Rin leaned against the side of the vehicle, just looking up at the night sky. It reminded her of black velvet... sprinkled with sparkly silver glitter... She noticed the silvery-white crescent moon hanging amongst the stars and smiled a bit; it reminded her so much of Sesshoumaru... Beautiful, shining with an ethereal silver glow, but with a dark, mysterious half...  
  
'Just like him...' She mused, letting thoughts of her new crush take over her mind.  
  
She was so absorbed in blissful daydreams that she didnt hear the rustle of bushes coming from the edge of the parking lot, nor did she see the moonlight reflect off the silvery object held in a shadowed hand. The hidden figure held the object in still hands, aiming for a fatal area on the mute girl's body.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru went into the theater they had sat in and took his dark jacket from the seat before walking out again. As he reached the lobby, a sense of dread filled his mind and soul and one thought came to mind... Rin...  
  
He ran past the startled workers, who yelled at him to watch where he was going, but he didnt listen. He pushed open the doors and made his way into the parking lot.  
  
Spotting his date, he yelled out her name at the top of his lungs. "RIN!!!"  
  
~*~  
  
"RIN!!!" Rin heard Sesshoumaru yell her name and turned sharply to see what was the matter. A loud BANG! resounded throughout the once-quiet parking lot as a gun was fired from the bushes.  
  
Rin felt a searing, white hot pain in her shoulder and gasped audibly, clutching at the flesh. She felt something warm, and wet, and brought her hand in front of her face... it was blood...  
  
The blood ran freely from the wound as she collapsed, falling to the asphalt. She felt two warm, strong arms catch her just as her head was about to hit the ground.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru heard the gun shot and ran quicker than he ever thought he could. He caught Rin right before her head hit the pavement, which probably would have caused some damage if he hadnt been so fast. Panic coursed throughout his body. Would she be okay? Oh god let her be okay!  
  
He sat on the ground and gently laid her head in his lap before inspecting the damage. She had been shot once in the shoulder and the wound was now bleeding heavily.  
  
Her face began to pale, the color draining from her cheeks. "Rin, Rin are you okay? Rin..." Sesshoumaru continued to panic, looking around franticly.  
  
Luckily for him, the man that had been working the ticket counter had heard the gun shot and came running. Kneeling, panting before the teenager, he breathlessly asked what happened.  
  
"Rin's been shot! Call 911! HURRY DAMN IT!" Sesshoumaru found himself yelling at the poor man, mind overcome by worry and anger. Who would DARE shoot Rin?!   
  
The ticket man ran back inside to call 911, leaving Sesshoumaru alone with his injured date.  
  
"Oh god Rin..." He whispered, ripping off the sleeve of what was his favorite System of a Down shirt and wrapped the cloth securely around the wound to help stop the bloodflow. "Please Rin... Please be okay..."  
  
His breath caught in his throat when he heard the most miraculous thing... "Ses...shou....maru....." Rin whispered, very slowly. Her voice was hoarse from not using it for so long and it sounded foreign to her. She tried it again though, and it became a bit clearer... "Sesshou....maru...."  
  
Sess felt tears beginning to prick at his eyes. She had said her first word in two years, and it was... his name... She had said... his name... He forced a tiny smile, gazing at Rin with slightly blurred vision.  
  
"Rin... You... You spoke... You said my name..." Rin forced a small smile of her own, even though she was in excruciating pain.  
  
"Dont..... w-worry.... 'bout me...." Her voice was barely a whisper, but Sess heard it perfectly. He felt her form go limp in his arms, and his eyes widened.  
  
"Rin...? Rin!" Franically he took her wrist, feeling for a pulse. He calmed down slightly when he realized that she was just unconsious.  
  
Sesshoumaru waited anxiously for another 5 minutes before the ambulence and the police arrived. Paramedics lifted Rin from Sesshoumaru's lap and placed her on a stretcher before pushing that into the back of the ambulence. Police went about doing their job, marking where Rin was and inspecting the scene of the crime.  
  
Sess climbed into the ambulence after the paramedics had placed Rin in, and the vehicle made its way to the hospital.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru paced anxiously in the hospital waiting room, glancing at the metal double doors every now and then. Rin had gone into surgery just a couple minutes ago.  
  
"The girl's sister and brother are coming." The old lady at the reception desk stated, placing the phone down. She had just called Rin's house to let her family know.  
  
"Huh? Oh, okay..." He sighed and continued his pacing, deep in thought.  
  
'Rin spoke for the first time in two years today... and she said my name... It was probably because I was the only one there, but... it kinda makes me feel like i'm special to her...'  
  
"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER SESSHOUMARU?!?!" An enraged Kagome burst through the doors, yelling her head off. Inuyasha followed her, trying to calm her anger, but failing miserably. Souta trailed off behind, looking like he was about to cry.  
  
"I didnt do anything to her. I would never hurt Rin on purpose." Sesshoumaru stated coldly, glaring at Kagome.  
  
"THEN WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!"  
  
The old lady behind the desk told Kagome to quit yelling and went back to filing paperwork. Kagome lowered her voice, but her glare just got scarier.  
  
"I dont know what happened exactly. I heard a gun shot and when I got to Rin, she was bleeding and about to collapse." A hint of worry crossed his now icy face.  
  
"Rin-neechan got shot?" Souta tugged on the leg of Sesshoumaru's jeans, sniffling.  
  
"Yes, but dont worry, she's going to be okay..." Sess kneeled beside the crying third grader and tried to calm him down. Inuyasha was too caught up in his thoughts to notice Sesshoumaru's strange behavior.  
  
"Who would want to shoot Rin? She's just a regular girl..." Inuyasha wondered out loud, sighing.  
  
"I dont know... but if I ever find out who did, I'll kill him..." The older Iizuki brother answered, growling the last part. 'I promise you Rin, the bastard that hurt you wont get away with it...'  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru had no clue how much time had passed; it felt like an eternity to him though, until the doctor came out into the waiting room, clipboard in hand. The doctor glanced over at Kagome.  
  
"Ms. Higurashi? Your sister is going to be just fine," He stated in a rather monotonous voice. Sess let out a sigh of relief, as did Kagome, Souta, and even Inuyasha.  
  
"Rin will need to stay here for about a week to heal though. She's asleep right now, but you can see her anyway if you want. She'll be in room 204."  
  
"Okay, thank you doctor..." Kagome took Souta's hand and started off to Rin's room, the Iizuki brothers following.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru stepped into room 204 quietly, glancing over at the bed. Rin was laying there, dressed in a hospital gown, the blankets pulled up just under her chest. Her dark hair splayed over the pillow and Sesshoumaru felt a strange urge to touch it... to stroke her hair... to hold her in his arms...  
  
He shook his head to clear his thoughts and pulled up a chair next to Rin's bed. Kagome sat on the other side, Souta sitting in her lap. Inuyasha leaned against the wall.  
  
An hour passed in silence. Inuyasha hadnt moved and neither had Sesshoumaru. Kagome still sat in the chair, leg beginning to fall asleep since Souta was still in her lap. Sess noticed that everyone seemed tired, so he spoke up, "I'll stay with her tonight. You all go home and get some sleep."  
  
"No, I'll stay with her. She is my sister after all." Kagome sent a slight glare his way. "Inuyasha, could you please take Souta home?"  
  
"Sure, Kag-chan." Inuyasha strode over to his girlfriend and picked up the sleepy boy. "C'mon Souta, you can see Rin again tomorrow..."  
  
"Mm'kay Inu-oniichan..." Souta mumbled against his shoulder, and Inuyasha left the room.  
  
Then the glare-fight began. Sess glared at Kagome, Kagome glared back, and this continued for maybe 15 minutes.  
  
"I'LL stay with Rin." He stated calmly, deathglaring.  
  
"No I'LL stay with Rin." Kagome deathglared back.  
  
"No me."  
  
"No me."  
  
"No me!"  
  
"No me!"  
  
"NO ME!"  
  
"NO ME!"  
  
"Mmmm... what's all da yellin' 'bout....?" A voice asked hesitantly from the bed, squeaking slightly; the voice still sounded foreign to Rin.  
  
"Oh, its nothing Rin-chan, go back to sle--RIN?!" Kagome's eyes widened. Her sister was speaking!  
  
"Nnn... dont yell..." Rin muttered softly, burying her head underneath her pillow. Kagome was in shock. Her mute sister just spoke again!  
  
Sesshoumaru smirked a bit from the other side of the bed. "Yes, dont yell Kagome."  
  
"Shut up asshole..." Kagome sent another deathglare his way. Sess chuckled, a smug expression on his face.  
  
Rin spoke up again, voice muffled by her pillow. "Quit fighting..." Sesshoumaru smiled warmly at her.  
  
"Of course Rin..."  
  
Kagome slumped back into her chair, now feeling thouroughly exhausted. Today had been quite a weird day. First her sister had gotten shot for seemingly no reason, and now she was talking for the first time in two years.  
  
"Rin-chan, why? Why are you speaking again? Why now?" She asked in disbelief. A pillow hit her lightly. Rin winced at having to move, her shoulder still hurting.  
  
"Go home... both of you... sleep... sleep good..." Rin muttered, voice no longer muffled.  
  
Kagome sighed and tucked the pillow back underneath her younger sister's head. "Okay Rin-chan... I'll be by tomorrow morning... You gonna be okay?"  
  
"Mm-hmm..."  
  
"Try not to move around too much... 'Night..."  
  
"'Night 'night..."  
  
Sesshoumaru almost laughed at how childish Rin sounded right about now. 'She's cute when she's half-asleep... Hell, she's cute all the time...'  
  
Rin fell back asleep and Kagome walked out the door, sighing. Sleep would be nice after all that had happened today.  
  
Sesshoumaru stayed there, seated in the hard plastic chair. Damn hospitals, why cant they provide cushioned seats in patients' rooms? Ah well, he would just have to endure if he wanted to stay with Rin. And he did want to stay, oh did he ever wanna stay!  
  
~*~  
  
An hour passed; Sesshoumaru sat with Rin the whole time, gazing over her sleeping face. She looked so peaceful, so innocent... Sort of like a fallen angel or a lovely forest nymph...  
  
'I was so worried when she got shot... No one had ever worried me more in my life... But why? I really like Rin and I've only known her for about a week... I remember the first time I saw her. She looked so beautiful that day, sitting on the bench all by herself with a book...  
  
Usually I dont really notice girls like her so... why Rin? Why did I notice her? Why did I sit beside her? Why did all this happen?! Maybe its luck... Or, maybe its something else...'  
  
He looked down at her sleeping face for the millionth time that night and smiled.  
  
'I told myself I'd never be in a serious relationship in my life... I told myself there was no room in my future for anyone else... But maybe I can make room for her... For Rin...'  
  
With these thoughts in mind, he drifted off to sleep...  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]Mage: dont hurt Mage for getting Rinrin shot... ;_; Mage had ta do it! *clings to Ashura to try to ward off the things reviewers are most likely going to throw at her*  
  
Ashura: Eheh... Yes, please understand... That was essential to the almost-non-existant plot... We cant have Rin mute forever, can we? Nuuuu...  
  
Rin: *storms in glaring* WHY DID I HAFTA GET HURT?!  
  
Sess: *storms in behind her* Yes, why? And why didnt this Sesshoumaru protect her from injury like I should have done?  
  
Ashura: *starry eyes* SESS-CHAN! *glomps*  
  
Sess: O.O EEK!!! GET OFF ME! IM STRAIGHT YOU WEIRDO!!!  
  
Rin: *growls at Ashura* MY SESSY!  
  
Mage: Oo; CAST FIGHT! =D *settles back with popcorn and a vanilla pepsi*  
  
*IC-kun hops across the screen with a sign that says "Reveiw Please!"* 


	9. Chapter 9

[AN]^^;;; 61 reviews! The most I've ever gotten on a single story! I'm happy now... ^^;  
  
Ashura: Sugoi... oo; She's actually written something fairly decent... Okay Mage-chan, review responses now.  
  
Mage: Hai!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Cookie6: Arigatou! Glad ya dont hate me for that... ^^;  
  
Heaven-Dragoon: Thank you! ^^ Heres the next chapter.  
  
Liz.Q: Eheh... ^^ heh heh... We'll just see if something like that happens...  
  
Wakadori Ramen: Heh, yeah it was Naraku... Pretty obvious, huh? Well I didnt hurt her TOO badly... *grins sheepishly* Otherwise Sess woulda killed me... Yes! *jumps up and down* Fluffyshipping forever!  
  
xoangelezox: ^^; Glad ya like and thanks for taking the time to leave a review!  
  
Ninetales122: *giggles* Sorry, no kissing... yet. ; But there's plenty of fluff ahead! =D  
  
duckknight: Yes, I felt for Rin too when I wrote this... But sadly, it had to be done... Sess-chan can protect her from stuff now though! ^^  
  
===============================================  
  
Sesshoumaru awoke around 4 AM, feeling a bit too warm. He pushed back the blankets-- Wait, blankets?! What the...? He glanced at the hospital bed underneath him, and the warm body that he had held against him.  
  
In his sleep he had crawled into bed with Rin...  
  
He started to get out of bed, when he heard Rin begin to stir. He froze in his tracks.  
  
"Mm... so DATS why it was so warm in here..." She said sleepily, turning to look at Sess. She winced a bit as a dull pain throbbed in her shoulder.  
  
"Sorry... I guess I still sleepwalk occasionally..." He answered sheepishly, smiling.  
  
"S'okee... I kinda liked it..." Rin's honey brown eyes closed again, and a pinkish blush tinted her smiling face.  
  
"R-really?" He blushed also, feeling a bit nervous all of a sudden. Rin nodded a bit.  
  
"Mm-hmm... going back ta sleep... 'Night Sess..." The girl drifted off into peaceful slumber again and Sesshoumaru's eyes widened a bit.  
  
'She... she called me Sess!' His grin spread. She had called him by his nickname, which meant they were becoming closer... Though there was always the fact that she could have been just half-asleep and didnt know what she was saying; but Sess didnt wanna think about that possibility.  
  
Feeling sleep coming on again, he layed back down on the hospital bed by Rin, on top of the covers, and clasped her hand in his over his chest. Sesshoumaru's golden eyes closed, and he dozed off.  
  
~*~  
  
Rin awoke around 9 on Sunday morning, having slept better than she had in 2 years, despite her injury. Which, speaking of that...  
  
"Ow... damn..." She hissed in pain as she tried to move. Finding it futile, she laid back down and glanced over at the other side of the bed. Sesshoumaru was lying there, fast asleep. She just now noticed that he was clasping her hand to his chest, as if he never wanted to let go.  
  
She smiled a bit as she tried to pull her hand away. He whimpered a bit and held it tighter, bringing it to his face and nuzzling it with his cheek. Rin stifled a giggle. 'He's so cute when he's asleep... Like a little lost puppy...'  
  
She finally got her hand out of his deathgrip, and hissed in pain and surprise as an arm reached out and pulled her to his body. The moving had jarred her shoulder and it throbbed painfully.  
  
Golden eyes opened a bit, and saw Rin pressed against him, wincing. He gasped a bit in surprise. "Oh shit! Rin, I'm so sorry!" He let go of her immediately and stood, settling her back down in bed.  
  
"S'okee Sess... You were asleep, you didnt know what you were doing..."  
  
"Do you want me to get you some painkillers?" He asked, eyes full of concern.  
  
"If its not too much trouble..."  
  
"I'll be right back then." Sesshoumaru darted from the room to find pain killers, and maybe a cup of coffee for himself.  
  
~*~  
  
Rin sighed slightly as he left. 'This is all too weird... I've known Sess for only a week and I already like him... a lot... Maybe more than I should... He's probably only here 'cos he feels sorry for me... 'cos I'm his brother's girlfriend's sister...  
  
'I cant ignore the fact that him holding me felt nice though... Maybe he does like me after all... Otherwise he wouldnt have done that, right?... He's so sweet... Sometimes I feel like I could spend the rest of my life with Sess... When did I start calling him Sess? Strange...'  
  
Sesshoumaru re-entered the room, holding a bottle of pills, some juice, and a styrofoam cup of coffee. He set the coffee down on the small table and handed Rin a couple pills and the juice.  
  
"Thanks Sess..." She smiled a bit at him and swallowed the painkillers, then laid back and waited for them to take effect.  
  
"Youre welcome..." He smiled back and took a drink of his coffee. "Do you... wanna watch tv?"  
  
"Sure..."  
  
Sess picked up the remote and turned on the television mounted on the wall. He began changing channels until he found an Adam Sandler movie. Remembering that Rin liked Adam Sandler, he kept it there.  
  
"Ohhh, I love this movie!" Rin exclaimed happily, seeing 'Billy Madison' was just starting.  
  
"Me too." Sess grinned, and they watched that, only being interrupted once when a nurse came in to bring Rin breakfast and check up on her.  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome, Souta, Inuyasha, and Mrs. Higurashi came in soon after the movie had ended and Mrs. Higurashi hugged Rin the best she could, almost in tears.  
  
"Oh, Rinrin! I'm so glad youre okay! Kagome called me late last night but I couldnt get into town until now! Oh my baby girl!"  
  
"Gah... Hi mama..." Rin blinkued at the older woman. She had never seen her mother so worked up before.  
  
"Rinrin.... Wait... Rinrin, y-you spoke!"  
  
"Dont call me Rinrin, I'm not a baby anymore..." It still felt weird to talk, but she liked being able to communicate like everyone else.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi erupted into tears, hugging her daughter and shouting joyously. "When did you start talking again?"  
  
"Last night... after... after the incident..." Rin answered softly, not really wanting to talk about that.  
  
Sesshoumaru stood off to the side, leaning against the wall and watching Mrs. Higurashi fuss over Rin. Then the older woman turned to him, and hugged him tightly.  
  
"Thank you so much for being there for my daughter and staying with her last night..." She hugged him more, as if he were another son.  
  
"Y-youre welcome, M-mrs. Higurashi..."  
  
"Mama, he cant breathe!" Rin stated, tossing her pillow at her mother. Mrs. Higurashi immediately let go.  
  
"Oh, sorry Sesshoumaru."  
  
"Its okay, Mrs. Higurashi."  
  
Mrs. Higurashi, Kagome, and Souta all began talking with Rin, while Sesshoumaru watched, thinking to himself.  
  
'Now that Mrs. Higurashi is here for a while, I can maybe go get Rin a get-well present... Maybe some flowers or something... Yeah, I'm sure she'd like that... I should change my shirt too...'  
  
He glanced down at the now-one-sleeved System of a Down shirt he had been wearing since yesterday. Frowning slightly, he ripped off the other sleeve at the shoulder and tossed it into the trash.  
  
Sess walked to Rin's bed and leaned over. "I'll be back in an hour Rin..."  
  
"Kay Sess..." She smiled a bit at him and he smiled back. Then, gathering up all his courage, he leaned over a little further and gently touched his lips to her cheek. When he pulled away, he noticed Rin blushing, though still smiling. He gave her one last grin and stepped out of the room.  
  
Rin reached up to touch her fingers to the spot where Sesshoumaru had kissed her, turning a strawberry red color. 'He... he actually...'  
  
Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome both bounced onto Rin's bed beside her, grinning.  
  
"Details Rinrin!"  
  
"Yeah! How serious is yours and Sesshoumaru's relationship?"  
  
"When's the wedding?" The last question was from Mrs. Higurashi of course. Rin just reddened more.  
  
"We're just friends... Maybe a little more... We're not in a relationship and there wont be any wedding!" Rin said, yanking the blankets over her head, wincing as it jarred her shoulder. "Leave me aloooonnneeeee!"  
  
"Well its a good thing you two arent serious about your relationship... You deserve better than Sesshoumaru. Maybe you could take Hojo-kun off my back... He needs a girlfriend to distract him from me..." Kagome muttered, thinking about the boy that just WOULDNT leave her alone, no matter HOW many times she told him she had a boyfriend.  
  
"And now that you're speaking again, Rinrin, you can get out of the special needs class! I'll phone the principal tomorrow." Mrs. Higurashi said happily.  
  
Rin sighed and nodded, not wanting to say much more since her throat was starting to hurt. She just wasnt used to using her voice so much. She buried her face in her pillow, hoping her mother and sister would get the hint and leave for a while. She didnt mind if Souta stayed though; he was being pretty quiet.  
  
She heard her mom whispering to her sister, then she heard two pairs of feet walking out of the room, signaling they had left.  
  
"Is the coast clear Souta-chan?" She asked, voice muffled by the pillow.  
  
"Yeah Rin-neechan." Souta pulled up a chair beside her bed and sat down. Rin turned to look at her little brother; her oh-so-sweet and loveable little brother.  
  
"Rin-neechan? I was scared when I heard you got hurt..."  
  
"Thanks for caring Souta-chan..." She smiled warmly at him.  
  
"Its nice to know that you can talk again Rin-neechan... Why'd you go all mute in the first place? What exactly happened?" He asked, cocking his head a little to the side and gazing at his sister with innocent eyes.  
  
Rin immediately stopped talking, remembering THAT... She shook her head a bit, signifying she didnt want to talk about it. Souta nodded and shut up for a while.  
  
~*~  
  
Sess started up his Jeep, which he assumed Inuyasha had gotten here, and drove to his place on Youkai Blvd. He pulled into the driveway and went inside to find a clean shirt.  
  
Scanning through his closet, he finally pulled out a plain grey t-shirt and changed into it, tossing the sleeveless System of a Down shirt into the trash. It was really too bad; that was one of his favorite shirts.  
  
He darted out of the house, eager to get Rin a present and get back quickly.  
  
The white Jeep pulled out of the driveway again, and this time went downtown. Golden eyes scanned the streets, searching for a floral shop. 'Aha!' He thought, parking in front of Thorn Originals, then walked inside.  
  
Inside the small shop, it was crowded with shelves of trinkets and other gift items. There were flowers near the back of this room, near the counter.  
  
Sess cautiously navigated his way through the store, being extra careful not to break anything. Stepping up to the counter, he looked around for someone who worked there.  
  
A dark-haired girl came out of the back room and smiled at him. She wore rather revealing clothes and a red ribbon in her hair.  
  
'Damn it! It just figures I'd have to run into one of Kagura's friends...' He thought, mentally cursing himself. The girl behind the counter was Yura.  
  
"Hey there, need any help?" Yura asked, leaning on the counter.  
  
"Uh... yeah... I need half a dozen red roses... They're for someone... special..." He stated, glancing over at the clear glass case thingy that held fresh flowers.  
  
"Sure thing, hun." Yura grinned at him and got the roses out. "Do you wanna choose a vase for these?" Sess nodded and glanced at a selection of different crystal vases. Finally, he found the perfect one. It was a clear pinkish glass, shaped like the middle part of a daffodil and it had a small teddy bear. The teddy bear's arms were sewn together around the glass, so it looked a bit like it was hugging it.  
  
"This one." He stated. Yura nodded and arranged the 6 red roses inside the pinkish vase, tied a ribbon around it, and handed it to Sess.   
  
"That'll be $25.99."  
  
He paid for the gift and went back out to his car, climbing in and pulling out.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru walked quietly into room 204, having reached the hospital. The vase of flowers was held behind his back, out of sight. He saw Rin and Souta watching a movie on tv.  
  
Rin heard his footsteps and turned to look at him. "Hey Sess!"  
  
Souta looked over at him also. "Hi Sesshou-niichan!"  
  
He smiled a bit. Souta was already calling him 'niichan'. "Hey Rin, hey Souta. Oi, Souta," He motioned for the 3rd grader to come over with the hand that wasnt full.  
  
Souta jumped off his chair and ran to where Sess stood. "Yeah?" The silver-haired male leaned over and whispered,  
  
"Do you think you could leave your sister and me alone for a little while?"  
  
Souta nodded and beamed before whispering back. "Uh huh!"  
  
"Thanks Souta." Sess smiled and gave the boy a couple dollars in quarters. "Why dont you go get yourself a snack?"  
  
"Kay! Arigatou Sesshou-niisama!" Souta grinned wider and ran out to find a vending machine.  
  
'HA! Now i'm Sesshou-niiSAMA... Take that Inuyasha. '  
  
"What was that all about?" Rin asked, smiling.  
  
"Oh, nothing." He smiled innocently and set the vase of roses on the small bedside table. "These are for you."  
  
"Oh Sess!" Rin squealed happily. "You didnt have to!"  
  
"I wanted to." The look in his eyes softened as he looked over at Rin, who was admiring the roses and how cute the vase was.  
  
"Thank you so much... I'd hug you, but I'm not supposed to get up..." Rin blushed a little, smiling sheepishly. He grinned widely.  
  
"I'll just have to remember to get my hug in about a week."  
  
"I wont let you forget..." Rin giggled a bit, and Sess sat in the chair beside her bed. The conversation quickly turned to the movie playing on the mounted television.  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]Mage: Aint sess a sweetie? ^^; *giggles* Anyway, after I finish this fic (if I ever finish it... curse my writers block ) I might write either a sequel or a new fic that I've had in mind for a week or so... It all depends on what I feel like writing at the time... But dont think Wish Upon a Star is close to being over cuz it aint!  
  
Ashura: Aint aint a word and I aint gonna say it. XD  
  
Mage: Shut up dork ;  
  
Ashura: mwee Oo; R&R please![/AN] 


	10. Chapter 10

[AN]Holy sh...nap! 79 reviews! oo;; *almost went into shock* Review responses now, yes... Before Mage faints...  
  
~~Review Responses~~  
  
Liz.Q: *giggles* I think you are Jakotsu-obsessed. But that isnt a bad thing! How could anyone NOT love Jaky-sama? ^^ *blinkblink* my plushie still doesnt talk... *shakes her sess plushie* TALK DAMN IT! ; Oh well... Ban/Jak fluff in the chapter ahead! =D  
  
Wakadori Ramen: *jumps up and down* I have a reason for the OOCness! Its AU so the characters were raised a bit differently! =D For once I have an excuse for something... *giggles* And I did read Water and Blood, but I'm sure you knew that by the review I left... ^^;  
  
PheonixIsis: You nono usually read Sess fics? I always read sess fics Oo; and always Sess/Rin... Anyway, arigatou! ^^  
  
hush: Creative writing assignments... *shivers* eeeevil... history? it has to be better than civics ; I despise civics... I shalt write more, dun worry...  
  
WingsofIsis: ^^; Yes he is, aint he? But only to his Rin sadly... --; *wishes sess would do sweet stuff for Mage*  
  
WilyWaltzer189: Arigatou! Heres the update!  
  
Ilona: Updated! =D  
  
MegaBuu: Arigatou! ^^; I'm actually not very proud of the rest of my work... 'Cept Lullabye...  
  
chibi Nataly: Really? I know a lot of Sess/Rins start out kinda the same, but theyre not... stupid, persay... *loves any and all sess/rin fics* Arigatou! Glad you like! I agree, Kikyo does get bashed a little too much... Even though I hate her, its true...  
  
Naoko2: I posted twice? oo; I must be losing my mind then... Either that, or we live in different time zones or something cuz I usually post every morning before I go to school... Oo; Yes I'm evil, I know... Heh... Kagura isnt a BITCH persay, she's just... fucked up in the head. Oo; excuse my language... Sess is getting OOC? Damn... -- I cant change it though, or I'd have to re-write like... 10 chapters... Ooohhh thats a good suggestion... But Kagura gets whats comin to her this chapter. mwaha...  
  
ElectricRain: Arigatou! ^^  
  
DemonLady1: Thanks! Here's the update.  
  
chibi-yukito: ^^  
  
xoangelezox: Yes, hes such a sweetie. ^^; They are meant for each other, yes... SESS/RIN FOREVER! Anyway, thanks for your review!  
  
~~End Review Responses~~  
  
Mage: Mage thanks Mage's wonderful reviewers... Especially those that review often (Liz.Q, Naoko2, duckknight, hush... A few others I think, I'm just too lazy to go through my reviews and check x.x) Anyway, I'm glad its almost the weekend... I need the time to write...   
  
Ashura: You could have been writing all day yesterday after school... --;  
  
Mage: I WAS TALKING TO MY FRIENDS! ;  
  
Ashura: Lazy ass...  
  
Mage: shut up...  
  
Ashura: Well I'm just saying, it would have been a better excuse to get out of civics homework than playing solitaire and talking to some people...  
  
Mage: Meh...  
  
===============================================  
  
Early the next morning, Monday, Sesshoumaru left the hospital, after promising Rin he would be back after school, then drove home to change his clothes.  
  
After changing into a pair of sweatpants and an over-large t-shirt for track practice, he packed a set of decent clothes into his bookbag and got into his jeep.  
  
"OI! Sess! I need a ride. My car's in the shop." Inuyasha ran up, bag bouncing against his back. Sesshoumaru sighed. Stupid little brother, always needing SOMETHING...  
  
"Fine, fine. Get in." Inuyasha gratefully climbed in on the passengers side, and Sesshoumaru drove down to the football field.  
  
The two met Kouga, Miroku, Jakotsu, and Bankotsu off to the side, stretching. Inuyasha immediately went to talk with Miroku, who looked half-asleep. Kouga and Bankotsu were occupied with their stretching, and Jakotsu... looked hyper, as always.  
  
"Hi Sesshou-chan!" Jakotsu beamed at the taller boy. Sess noticed that he was wearing LOTS of eyeliner today, even though it was probably going to wear off during practice.  
  
"Hey Jakotsu." Sess sat on the cold, dewey grass and began to stretch.  
  
"So how'd your date with Rin-chan go?" The smaller boy asked, giving the other a sly grin.  
  
"How'd you find out about that?"  
  
"Ban-kun and me spied on ya on Friday to see if you'd ask her out." He giggled a bit. Sess just sighed.  
  
"I should have known... Anyway, it was awful." He muttered, knowing Jakotsu wouldnt leave him alone until he told.  
  
"Awful? How so?" His sly grin turned to a look of confusion.  
  
"It was going great until after the movie... We walked out to my car together, then I remembered that I had forgot my jacket so I went back to get it. Then I felt this sense of dread and Rin's name immediately popped into my mind... I ran out and heard a gunshot... Some lunatic had shot Rin from the bushes..." The silver-haired boy explained purposely leaving out the part about Rin being able to talk again. Jakotsu and the others would just have to find out for themselves.  
  
Jakotsu gasped, his eyes widening with horror. "Someone shot Rin-chan?! Thats horrible! Who would do such a thing?!"  
  
"Thats just it. No one knows..."  
  
"Well, is she okay?" He looked worried, extremely worried. Rin had come to be his friend in just a few short days, probably because she didnt think anything of his being homosexual.  
  
"She'll be fine... She just has to stay in the hospital for a week or so to heal... The wound wasnt fatal; she just lost a bit more blood than she should have."  
  
"Oh, I'm glad she's okay... Ban-kun?" He poked his boyfriend in the shoulder, interrupting the conversation Bankotsu was having with Kouga.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Rin-chan's in the hospital... She got shot on her date with Sesshou-chan... Can we visit her after school today? Pleeeeeease?" He put on the puppy eyes he KNEW his boyfriend just couldnt resist. A look of worry crossed Bankotsu's face.  
  
"Of course Ja-chan. Is Rin okay?"  
  
"Sesshou-chan says she's going to be okay; she just needs a week to heal."  
  
"Aa, thats good." He nodded solemnly. "We can ask Suikotsu if he wants to come too."  
  
"Kay! Thankies Ban-kun!" Jakotsu leaned over and gave his boyfriend a sweet kiss on the lips.  
  
"OI! YOU TWO! Save it for after school!" The track coach yelled at them, blowing his whistle.  
  
After Bankotsu had managed to pry Jakotsu off him, though he did it reluctantly, practice started.  
  
~*~  
  
After practice had ended, and after changing into thier school clothes, Jakotsu, Bankotsu, and Sesshoumaru headed inside the building. Books were taken from lockers, and the three parted to go to class.  
  
~*~  
  
It seemed like an eternity passed until lunch came. Sesshoumaru took his lunch from his locker, briefly noticing that the paint on the metal was chipping in some places, and started down the hall.  
  
As he pushed through the crowd of students, he heard whispers. Obviously the news about Rin was getting around. Shrugging it off, he headed outside onto the campus to find Jakotsu and Bankotsu.  
  
He didnt get too far though, before he ran into... guess who? Yep, Kagura. There she was, standing amidst her crowd of 'popular' friends. 'Great...' He thought, mentally cursing.  
  
"Hi Sessy-dear!"  
  
Sess felt anger boiling inside him; he saw red before his eyes. Suppressing feelings of rage, he managed to calm himself down. Why couldnt she just take a hint?! He wasnt interested! And he HATED being called 'Sessy-dear'!  
  
"Hello... Kagura..." He said coldly, his left eye twitching a bit. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go meet some friends now." Sess began to brush past her, but was blocked off by Yura, Tsubaki, and Tsuyu.  
  
"You mean those gay freaks that always stalk you?" Kagura looked on in disgust. "I feel so sorry for you... Why dont you hang out with us? At least WE'RE not gay..." She spat out the last 'gay', making a face.  
  
Kagura jumped when she felt a poke in her shoulder. There stood a VERY angry Jakotsu.  
  
"What do *you* want? Shouldnt you be hitting on other guys?" Kagura glared at the boy, eyeing his choice of shirt - one of Bankotsu's Hot Topic tees - with distaste.  
  
"For your information, I dont hit on guys other than Ban-kun. I'm not a slut who cheats on my boyfriend, unlike you and your little friends." Jakotsu retorted, madder than Sesshoumaru had EVER seen him.  
  
"I have NEVER cheated on any of my boyfriends!" Kagura screeched in response.  
  
"At least *I* can keep a steady boyfriend!"  
  
"YOU BITCH!"  
  
"WHORE!"  
  
"QUEER!"  
  
"PREP!"  
  
Kagura glared and pulled her fist back. Jakotsu stumbled backwards, holding his now-split bottom lip.  
  
"DONT YOU EVER TALK TO ME LIKE THAT YOU FRUIT!" She screamed, stomping a high-heeled foot on the grass. Bankotsu was suddenly in front of Kagura, dark eyes narrowed dangerously.  
  
"Dont. You. Dare. Touch. My. Boyfriend." Bankotsu said slowly, venomously. In a flash, his fist smashed into Kagura's face, making her fall backwards. He continued to glare as her head hit the back of the maroon painted bench; Kagura cried out in pain, her right eye already starting to turn a nasty purple.  
  
Bankotsu turned to Jakotsu just as several male teachers ran up to the group. Sesshoumaru stepped to the side, blinking. 'That was sure... interesting...'  
  
"Jakotsu, Bankotsu, Kagura! WHAT in the name of Kami is going on?!" Mr. Takeda, the football coach and science teacher, yelled out in his gruff voice.  
  
Bankotsu ignored the enraged teacher; he was too busy holding Jakotsu to his chest and gently stroking his hair in soothing motions. Kagura stood, one eye swelled shut. She summoned up some fake tears to make her story more believable, trying to get both boys suspended.  
  
"He... He hit me f-for no reason... I was j-just talking with him and all of a sudden, he just... just punched me..." Kagura held her swollen eye, sniffling a bit for effect.  
  
"Thats not true!" Bankotsu exclaimed angrily, holding Jakotsu tighter to his chest protectively. The slightly smaller boy put his arms around his boyfriend's waist.  
  
"Yeah... She started it... She hit me first and Ban-kun hit her in return!" Jakotsu added, wiping a little blood off his lips with the back of his hand.  
  
"Bankotsu, just WHY did you hit Kagura if she didnt do anything to you?" Mr. Takeda narrowed his eyes a bit. It was no secret that Kagura was one of his favorite students in the science classroom.  
  
"No one hurts MY boyfriend and gets away with it!" Bankotsu growled low in his throat, stroking his boyfriend's hair some more. Jakotsu could have sworn he was going to be bald by the time this ordeal was over.  
  
"I'm going to have to suspend BOTH of you boys." Mr. Takeda growled out, eyes narrowing to slits. "Ms. Kagura, you had better go to the office and get some ice for your eye."  
  
"Yes, sir..." She said in a fake meek voice, and walked off with Yura, Tsuyu and Tsubaki following.  
  
Sesshoumaru found himself growling. Kagura had started this whole mess and SHES the one who gets out of it without punishment?! 'Damn that Mr. Takeda!' He stepped forward, his height dwarfing the short, stocky man.  
  
"Mr. Takeda, Kagura started this. She was talking bad about Jakotsu, AND she threw the first punch; Bankotsu was just protecting his boyfriend! KAGURA should be the one who gets suspended, not Jakotsu and Bankotsu." He stated coldly.  
  
"Dont tell me how to do my job Iizuki! You're suspended too."  
  
"WHAT?! THIS IS BULLSHIT!" Hey, Sess might as well cuss the teacher out since he was suspended anyway, right?  
  
"SHUT UP AND GO TO THE PRINCIPALS OFFICE!"  
  
By now a swarm of curious students had crowded around the three angry students and the yelling teacher, watching and commenting quietly to each other.  
  
"Fine." Sess spat out; by now, he was so angry he was seeing red. He stalked off to the principal's office. Bankotsu and Jakotsu trailed behind.  
  
After they had been officially suspended by the principal and their parents had been called, the three headed out to the parking lot.  
  
"C'mon Bankotsu, Jakotsu. I'll give you guys a ride." Sess said. Bankotsu nodded, trying not to listen to the rumors already being spread by gossiping preps.  
  
Sess climbed in on the drivers side and sighed; Bankotsu got in on the other side, pulling Jakotsu into his lap and closing the door with a loud thud.  
  
"We need to get you some ice for that lip, Koibito..." The braided boy lovingly nuzzled his nose into his koibito's dark hair, which was left loose today.  
  
"Lets go stop by a convenience store and get some drinks or something, and then we can go see Rin at the hospital. I dont really want to face my parents yet..." Sess stated, his anger slowly fading. 'At least I get to spend the rest of the week with her...' He smiled inwardly at the thought.  
  
"That sounds good about now..." Jakotsu said, sighing. "I swear, Ban-kun, we should sue Mr. Takeda... That was discrimination..."  
  
"Yeah... Maybe we can Ja-chan... Suikotsu's father's a lawyer, I bet he'd help us out..." Bankotsu placed a tender kiss upon his koibito's forehead as Sess drove down to the local Mr. Convenience store.  
  
On the way, he glanced over at the two once or twice. Bankotsu was lovingly fussing over the other, placing kisses on his face and cuddling him. Jakotsu seemed content, though he was barely smiling; it kind of hurt his swollen lip to smile like that.  
  
'Those two are so lucky... They're in love... I kinda wish I had someone to love like that... Someone to love me unconditionally... If I had someone like that, I'd never be truly lonely again...' He thought wistfully. Reaching the convenience store, he pulled into the parking lot and the three teenagers went inside.  
  
~*~  
  
Sess, Jakotsu, and Bankotsu got back in the car. Sesshoumaru placed his coke in the cup holder. Bankotsu held his, which he was sharing with Jakotsu. The other was holding a napkin with a few ice cubes wrapped in it to his swollen lip.  
  
The drive to the hospital was made in silence, though it wasnt an awkward silence.  
  
He pulled up and walked briskly inside to room 204, his two friends following. Slowly and quietly, Sess pushed open the door.  
  
He saw Rin, laying in the bed, wide awake. She gently ran her fingertips over the petals of a rose for the millionth time today, marveling at how soft it was. She briefly wondered if Sesshoumaru's lips were soft like this and found herself blushing.  
  
'What am I thinking?!'  
  
She was startled out of her thoughts as the door pushed open fully and Sesshoumaru, Jakotsu, and Bankotsu stepped inside the tiny, white-walled room.  
  
"Hi Rin-chan!" Jakotsu said happily, dark eyes sparkling. A smile spread upon Rin's face.  
  
"Jakotsu-kun! Bankotsu-kun! Sess! Hi! What are you all doing in here so early? School isnt over yet, is it?" She said rather quickly, earning surprised looks from Jakotsu and his boyfriend.  
  
"Holy sh...nap!" Blink blink. "Rin just said something!" Bankotsu blinkued more, brown eyes wide. Rin giggled.  
  
"Hai Bankotsu-kun."  
  
"OHHH RIN-CHAN! I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!" Jakotsu leaned over the bed to hug Rin lightly, being careful not to move her too much. Rin hugged him back, smiling a bit wider at the friendly gesture.  
  
"Thanks Jakotsu-kun..."  
  
'Lucky freaking Jakotsu...' Sess pouted a little. 'Well, she DOES owe ME a hug... And I want a real hug... I guess I can wait...'  
  
"Anyway, what happened? Why are you guys here so early?" Rin asked, looking from Bankotsu, to Jakotsu, to Sesshoumaru.  
  
"Kagura said some really nasty things about Jakotsu, so he said some nasty stuff about her back. She punched him and split his lip, and Bankotsu punched HER as revenge. Her right eye was swollen shut! Anyway, we got suspended." Sesshoumaru said, taking his usual seat in the hard plastic chair beside her bed.  
  
"Was Kagura suspended too?"  
  
"No." Jakotsu muttered angrily. "She got off without the slightest punishment and WE get suspended because Mr. Takeda doesnt like us homosexual people..."  
  
"Sess got suspended too, for 'telling him how to do his job.'" Bankotsu added hatefully. "I swear that guy is such an asshole..."  
  
"Thats awful!" Rin's expression was a mixture of anger and concern for her friends.  
  
"Yeah... Anyway, lets not talk about that..." Sesshoumaru suggested. He dreaded having to face his father about this... Ah well... He would stay with Rin until he absolutely HAD to go, and maybe his father would be in bed by then and he wouldnt have to listen to the man yell...  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]Dude that was fun to write XD Anyway R&R please? Oh, and how about the new ep of Inuyasha last night? ^^ RINS SO CUTE! "Yes Milord!" That was soooo adorable... And "Master Jaken" just doesnt sound right Oo;; heh...[/AN] 


	11. Chapter 11

[AN]I see a lot of you hate Mr. Takeda... Heheh... So do I... But just to let you know, unlike the other teachers in this fic, Mr. Takeda is NOT based on one of MY teachers... Coach Shine (my science teacher) is a cool teacher... He lets me doodle on my notes (while he's talking even!! as long as I've got the notes down...) and even compliments me on em. ^^;   
  
Wow, 95 reviews... I think I'm actually gonna hit the 100 mark! Okay, I've decided that whoever is my 100th reviewer wins a cameo in the fic! It'll be in Chapter 20-somethin though, because thats what I'm working on... So... yeah... ^^;  
  
Review Responses:   
  
Paragorgon: Aw man! That has to suck! Dont worry though, Rin'll be in the next episode on Monday! She does another cute thing! =D Why wait for dubbed dvds? Oo; I just went out and bought the Japanese boxed sets. (I swear I've spent over $100 on IY merchandise...) Personally, I dont think it's too odd... But thats just me. Jakotsu and Bankotsu are actually from the InuYasha series, just not in the dub yet. Jakotsu makes his very first appearance in episode 102. *nods* Arigatou!  
  
Sakie: Thanks! Heres the update.  
  
darkmoon0829: Agreed! Its SO annoying to have to wait... Thats why I pre-write my fics, then post them. Gives me a chance to go back and edit things also. Yes Rin is so kawii! She is like... the definition of kawii! Sess should kill Kagura... I despise Kagura. ; Not only did she kill the neato wolfies, she sorta kinda hits on Sess! ; Death to Kagura... I love the little freeze thing Rin does! THAT WAS SO KAWII! *has japanese dvds* dun worry, I'll keep updating.  
  
Demonlady1: I update every day...  
  
Ninetales122: In time my good reviewer, in time... Yes, Mr. Takeda's a bastard... He's supposed to be Oo;  
  
MegaBuu: Arigatou! Sesshoumaru's dad seems kind of important to him in the series (I think he hates Inuyasha, not only because he's a halfbreed, but because when his father was fighting, Sess was there to help, but Inu wasnt so Sess blames Inu for Inutaisho's death... Dont quote me on that though, thats just what my friend Rai told me and I'm not sure if its 100% accurate...) Anyway, thats where I got the inspiration for this. *nods*  
  
Liz.Q: Yes, no one hurts my Jaky-sama and escapes unscathed! Mwahahahaha! (*Bankotsu bursts in yelling and screaming about how Jaky-sama is HIS and no one else's*) Okay okay Ban-kun, sheesh... Yesh, Sess is a jealous little puppy aint he? ^^; I love the badge! I'll get around to putting it on my site (giving credit to you of course!) soon...  
  
WingsofIsis: Wow, people are expressing hate for Mr. Takeda... Looks like I got the reaction I wanted! =D Yes, Rin was adorable! ^^ I still say "Master Jaken" doesnt sound right though...  
  
hush: Mwahahahaha... Kagura deserved that punch, ne? Dude, I HATE school computers... The librarians can never seem to keep them clean and junk... --; When I was library aide last year at the middle school Mrs. Hubble and I used to clean keyboards so that wouldnt happen... Really? You had friends like that? Neat... They moved? Dats sad... EEK! No computer all weekend?! THATS AWFUL! I feel sorry for you oo;;;  
  
Naoko2: ^^; I WAS full of ideas at the time but nowwwww... *mutters and stabs writers block* Chapter 21 just wont write... And I know it wasnt fair, but life aint always fair. *shrugs* Anyway, heres the next chapter.  
  
Wakadori Ramen: Yes, Rin does say "milord"... It was kinda cute, but not as endearing as when she says "Sesshoumaru-sama"... Your father took CN away?! EVIL!!! Kagura's evil because there has to be a bad guy person and I already killed off Kikyo... Plus I just like bashing Kagura. ^^; Kagura IS cruel! She killed the wolfies! ;_; I loved the wolfies... And she sorta kinda hits on Sess. ; I hate the idea of a Sess/Kagura pairing... FLUFFYSHIPPING FOREVER!!! ^^;  
  
duck-monkey: Arigatou! ^^; Yes, yay for fluff!  
  
Tigerose08: The best? Really? ^^; I'm flattered you think that... Oohhh I hate brothers! Always doing things to annoy others... Anyway, heres the update.  
  
Cricket-chan: Haiiiiii... Jaken shoulda stayed dead... How'd he go back to being one piece anyway? Oo; The world may never know...  
  
Shinnyu Kudzu: *gaspish* Youre really gonna draw the cuddle scene? OH OH OH! I WANNA SEEEEEEE! *giggles* Rin is such a cutieeeee! And I totally agree about Sessy's evil bishieness! Heres the update! (Ashura: *scoffs* She doesnt need any more inflation to her head... Its already close to bursting...) ; Shut up Ashy-chan... *giggles more* YES! Ginta/Hakkaku roxxors![/AN]  
  
===============================================  
  
After school had ended, Kagura drove home and stepped inside quietly, in case her mom was drunk again. But thankfully, her mother wasnt home right now.  
  
She went straight for the kitchen to fix Hakudoshi a snack, doubting that he had been fed since she had gotten him a bowl of cereal this morning.  
  
Kagura arranged some celery sticks on a paper plate, after spreading a generous amount of peanut butter on them and topping them with raisins, poured a glass of milk, and carried the food upstairs to the room Hakudoshi, Juuromaru and Kageromaru shared.  
  
The door was open a crack, and she could hear voices coming from inside. Obviously her delinquent brothers were home at the moment. Peeking inside, her eyes narrowed a bit, the swelling on the other having gone down some.  
  
Inside the twins Juuromaru and Kageromaru were sitting on their bunk beds, drinking beers. Hakudoshi was sitting in the corner, quietly playing with his toys.  
  
Kagura sighed and pushed open the door. "Juu-kun, Kagero-kun, give me those beers. You know drinking is bad for you!" She set the celery and milk she had brought for her youngest brother down on a small table and yanked the brown tinted bottles out of the two's hands.  
  
"Hey! Kagura! Gimme that back!" Kageromaru shouted angrily. Juuromaru just glared, seeing as he didnt talk much.  
  
"No way little brother. How did you get these anyway?! You know you're under age!" Glaring back at her brothers, she dumped the alchohol out the window.  
  
"One of our gang members got em for us." Kageromaru muttered, crossing his arms. Juuromaru imitated his twin, obviously pissed by the expression on his face.  
  
"Well no more! I dont want you two to end up like mom! Why dont you guys ever LISTEN to me?! You'd listen if Kanna were here!" Kagura felt tears come to her crimson eyes.  
  
"Well Kanna's NOT here! She abandoned us for college!" Kageromaru shouted back, standing up.  
  
"She didnt ABANDON us! Its not her fault! You KNOW she got a full scholarship and it would have been stupid not to take the oppurtunity!"  
  
"I hate her! You're the only one who ever sees her anymore at school! I hate you too! I HATE ALL OF YOU!" Kageromaru stormed out of the room, Juuromaru following.  
  
Kagura sunk to her knees right there on the rough carpet, tears rolling down her cheeks and mussing her makeup. 'When dad was still around, our family was so big... So happy... What happened to make us like this?... Why did dad have to die?'  
  
She cried freely, unafraid of someone seeing her. Hakudoshi crawled into his sister's lap, staring up at her with big sad eyes. "Nono cwy Kagu-neesama..." With that, he put his tiny arms around her and huggled her.  
  
"Gomen, Haku-chan..." Kagura cuddled her littlest brother, stroking his white hair; he was the only one she had left in her life now, other than Kanna, whom she hardly ever saw anymore, even at school.  
  
Later that evening, Kagura lounged around the living room, watching a random cartoon on tv with Hakudoshi. Hearing the phone ring, she leapt to answer it.  
  
"Hello?" She asked curtly.  
  
"Kagura?"  
  
"Naraku-niisama?!"  
  
"Yeah, its me... Listen I gotta make this quick..."  
  
"Okay... Is something wrong?" Kagura's face filled with worry for her oldest sibling.  
  
"Yeah, the cops are after me again. I have to leave, go into hiding again. I'll miss ya Kagura... Tell the others I'll miss em too... Gotta go now, bye."  
  
The click on the other line signified he had hung up. Tears welled in Kagura's eyes. "What have I done...?"  
  
~*~  
  
"Well, we'd better be going. It was nice actually talking with you Rin." Bankotsu stated, standing up. It was now around 9PM.  
  
"Yeah, bye Rin-chan!"  
  
"Okay, seeya Bankotsu, Jakotsu." Rin smiled tiredly at her two friends as they walked out the door, hand in hand.  
  
Rin lay back against the pillows and closed her eyes, thouroughly exhausted. Sess found himself staring at her again; his gaze traveled from her silky dark brown hair to her beautiful face, which still retained a bit of child-like innocence, down her creamy neck and the rest of her body... He noticed she wasnt model-thin, but she was just average, though she had curves in all the right places; Rin was... unlike any other girl he had ever seen... She was... almost ethereal...  
  
"Rin, do... would you like me to... stay with you tonight?" He asked hesitantly, hoping to whatever god was up there that she'd say yes.  
  
"You dont have to do that, Sess... I'll be fine alone for one night." She smiled a bit, opening her sparkling honey brown eyes. Sesshoumaru decided that he really loved it when she smiled.  
  
"I dont mind, really..."  
  
"You should go home Sess... I dont want you to have to sleep sitting up in that hard plastic chair..." She stated, finger tracing circles on the sheet.  
  
She felt a clawed hand gently cup her chin, and Sess raised her head a bit to look him in the eyes, grinning to her. "Who said I had to sleep in the chair?"  
  
She blushed a bit more, lost in his intense golden gaze. "Sess..."  
  
"Rin... I want to stay with you tonight... If you'll let me..." Sesshoumaru whispered, his face moving slowly, steadily closer to hers. He imagined what her lips would feel like on his; what her bare skin would feel like underneath his hands...  
  
He was moving closer... 'Is he going to... Oh my god! Hes going to kiss me isnt he?! Oh damn... What if I'm not a good kisser? What if he doesnt like kissing me?'  
  
A tiny voice in the back of Rin's mind spoke up firmly. 'Stop with the what-ifs and relax!'  
  
So Rin tried to relax as Sesshoumaru leaned closer, though she couldnt stop the butterflies fluttering about in her stomach. She had imagined this a few times, when she was laying alone in her bed, but now it was actually happening!  
  
Their faces were inches apart now; both could feel their heavy breaths intermingling. Golden eyes gazed into honey brown ones. Their noses touched, then...  
  
"Sorry to interrupt, I just came to check on Rin-chan..." A nurse stated loudly, nervously, looking the two over. Sesshoumaru quickly pulled back, letting his bangs fall over his face to hide his blush.  
  
Rin didnt bother to hide the reddish color that spread across her cheeks. "Ano... I'm fine... Eheh..."  
  
"Um... okay, night Rin..."  
  
"Good night..."  
  
The nurse left, shutting the door softly behind her. Sesshoumaru sighed a bit. 'Damn her! Ruining the moment like that! I'd kiss Rin now, but it wouldnt be the same... DAMN THE NURSE! SHE RUINED THE MOOD! DAMN HER DAMN HER DAMN HER!' On the outside, he just looked slightly pissed. Mentally though, he was having a temper tantrum worse than a small child that was denied candy would.  
  
'Oh god... He was going to kiss me... He really was going to kiss me... I cant believe it! Maybe he actually DOES like me as more than a friend...' Rin smiled inwardly. 'I can hope...'  
  
"So um... do you mind if I stay here for the night?"  
  
"No, no not at all Sess..." She answered quickly. He smiled a bit and laid down in bed beside her, on top of the covers, and buried his nose in one side of Rin's pillow. It still contained that annoying hospital scent, but intermingling with that was Rin's own scent; that of jasmine, waterlilies, and innocence.  
  
She turned her head slightly to look at him and fell asleep with a smile on her face. Sess soon followed in sleep, surrounded by the sweet scent of Rin.  
  
~*~  
  
Late the next morning, around 10, Sesshoumaru left the hospital after telling Rin he'd be back as soon as he could. It was time to face his father.  
  
He sighed, standing on the porch of the estate on Youkai Blvd. 'I dont want to hear him yell at me... But more importantly, I dont want to hear how disappointed of me he is...'  
  
Feeling downcast, he opened the door and stepped inside, only to be met by a glaring father. Inutaisho stood in the hallway, arms crossed; he wore his usual business suit, silver hair tied back in a small ponytail as always.  
  
"And just WHERE have you been Sesshoumaru?" Inutaisho asked his son, tapping his foot on the carpet.  
  
Sesshoumaru couldnt meet his father's gaze; he glanced down, avoiding looking into the older man's eyes.  
  
"I was... uhm... at the hospital... with Rin..." He stated hesitantly.  
  
"You go and get yourself suspended, and then you dont even come home? Sesshoumaru, what's happened to you? You're not acting like yourself lately." Inutaisho's voice lost some of its icyness as he spoke.  
  
"Mr. Takeda had no reason to suspend me... I didnt do anything... 'Cept say it wasnt fair for my friends to get in trouble and not Kagura, who STARTED the whole thing..." Sess muttered, eyes still downcast. "I'm sorry father, I wont get in trouble at school again..."  
  
The older man's golden eyes softened a bit. "Its okay Sess, this Mr. Takeda person sounds like a real jerk." The warm, fatherly voice Sesshoumaru had known for so long was back, and he glanced up.  
  
"You... Youre not... disappointed in me?" He asked, blinking.  
  
"No, of course not. Why would I be disappointed? All you did was stand up for the people you care about, and that is a very fine quality in a person." Sesshoumaru brightened up a bit. "Now, tell me about this 'Rin' girl..."  
  
Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru sat down in the living room, and Sesshoumaru began to tell his father all he knew about the girl he liked.  
  
~*~  
  
About 45 minutes later, Inutaisho was fully informed on his oldest son's school life and love life. Usually, Sesshoumaru wouldnt talk to anyone like that, but his father was an exception.  
  
"Rin sounds like a very nice girl. You should bring her for dinner sometime so Mitsuko and I can meet her. Once she's healed of course." Inutaisho stated, nodding once.  
  
"Yeah, okay Dad..." He glanced over at the mahogany clock on the wall. "SH...nap! I gotta go dad, promised Rin I'd be back soon. Bye!" Sess flew out the front door, hastily putting on his jacket.  
  
'He's opening up more...' Inutaisho thought. 'And its all because of this Rin he speaks so fondly of...' A smile came to his face. 'I really should thank her...'  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]EEEEEE! ^_^ I'm so happy! Me and my brothers got pet fishies today! =D Mine is a gorgeous black and white male swordtail! HES SO PRITTY! ^^; I dunno what to name him though... Hmm... Oh, and I got a Godsmack CD so I'm REALLY happy about that...  
  
Ashura: *smacks Mage* They dont want to hear about your home life dumbass... --;  
  
Mage: --; I hate you.  
  
Ashura: I love you too dipshit.  
  
*Mage runs off to watch her new fishy with Ashura following...* 


	12. Chapter 12

[AN]*faints at number of reviews* *is slapped awake by Ashura* Heh... Arigatouuuuu minna-sammmmaaaaaa! You've all been so supportive!  
  
Ashura: ....Skip to the review responses Mage.  
  
Mage: Hai! ^-^  
  
****Review Responses****  
  
Shinnyu Kudzu: Agreed! =D I love Godsmack... One of their songs gave me an idea on how to get Kagura off Sesshou-sama's back. ; Plenty more Ja/Ban in chapters ahead. And I've been trying to write in some Ginta/Hakkaku, but its hard... I dont know where to fit them in... I think you ARE the only one to write that pairing... ^^; And you do it so well... Yes, die Kikyo... ; Hey, these 3-4 page chapters ARE long for me. Oo; I used to write 1000 word chapters but I make myself write more for this...  
  
Cookie6: Yay! I'm getting the reaction I wanted! =D Yes, I wanted people to hate and pity Kagura at the same time... I'm evil. ; hehe ^^  
  
Ilona: *blushes* Really? You really think so? ^^; Arigatou!   
  
Naoko2: Hehe... ^^; I know I'm evil... I'm describing Kagura's home life mostly for character development I guess... Giving her a reason to be fucked up in the head (excuse my language) and junk... YES MY FISHY'S COOL! ^-^ I luff my Lucifer... *named her fish Lucifer*  
  
Dragon of Sea: Really?! That's freaky dude! Oo; Deja vu... Anyway, thanks! ^^  
  
Cricket-chan: Arigatou!  
  
Liz.Q: Yes, Rin DOES seem to like flowers in every single fic she's in... I wonder where that came from. Oo;;; *giggles* Yes, she does smell like good perfume. ^^ *spritzes her jasmine and waterlily body spray in the air and dances around* Wheee... I love this stuff...  
  
SessRin2003: Thanks! ^^  
  
MegaBuu: Yes... Maybe I should give her a happy ending... I might not though... Anyway, arigatou!  
  
Ookami Spirit Hishana: *mystified and horrified at the same time* How can anyone NOT like Jaky-sama and Ban-sama?! oo;;; Ah well... Yes, naraku and kagura nono deserve capital letters Oo; Anyway, thanks for reviewing!  
  
===============================================  
  
The rest of the week passed rather uneventfully. Sesshoumaru stayed with Rin most of the time, and Jakotsu and Bankotsu visited when they could. Rin's family came once a day for a while.  
  
The bullet wound on Rin's shoulder healed nicely over the week, and pretty soon it was time for her to leave the hospital.  
  
It was a Friday, and fairly warm for January, though one still required a jacket. The sun shone brightly overhead; there were no signs of clouds in the sky.  
  
A nurse pushed a wheelchair containing a pouting Rin. ("I can walk! I feel much better!" Rin had said. "Sorry, standard procedure." The nurse had answered.)  
  
A certain silver-haired 18 year old walked beside the chair, chuckling a bit. Mrs. Higurashi, Souta, and Kagome followed.  
  
Reaching the Higurashi's car, Sesshoumaru opened the back door and held out his hand to Rin. "My lady."  
  
Rin giggled and took the offered hand. Sesshoumaru helped her into the car, smiling. "I'll call you sometime, 'kay Rin?" He said, golden eyes warm.  
  
"Okay, Sess. Seeya!" She pulled shut the car door after Kagome and Souta had gotten in, and Mrs. Higurashi pulled out.  
  
~*~  
  
The rest of the day passed uneventfully for Rin; no calls from Sesshoumaru, though Sango called her up to talk once.  
  
That night, she sat down in her window seat, gazing out over the night sky. Stars shone brightly against an inky backdrop; the moon gave off its reflected, silvery light. The sky was clear tonight, not a cloud whatsoever.  
  
'Stars... I remember the night before I met Sess... I saw a shooting star... and I made a wish... to meet my soul mate... Could it... have come true maybe? Could Sess be the one for me? He is nice, and I like him a lot... Maybe my wish really did come true...'  
  
She eyed her paints and easel in the corner. "I should paint something..." She said softly to herself and stood. Picking up the paints, she dipped her brush in the pink and made the first stroke on the blank white canvas.  
  
~*~  
  
Hours later, when she had finally finished, she glanced over her latest piece. It was one of the best she had ever done; of two shillouetted figures holding hands over a beautiful sunrise. Rin picked it up and set it against the wall, right beside the last painting she had done, and compared the two.  
  
A lonely person enveloped in grey and black; a couple against the sunrise. Her paintings reflected her life almost perfectly. A couple weeks ago, she had been alone and depressed; now she had someone, and was happier than ever.  
  
A smile graced her lips. 'I hope I'm never lonely again...'  
  
~*~  
  
Sess laid back on his bed that night, staring at the blank ceiling. He had never really noticed how dull his room was; maybe Rin would help him redecorate it. She DID say she painted after all...  
  
Rin...  
  
She was the main thing on his mind lately, with her innocence and her child-like grace; her beauty, her voice... He liked everything about her...  
  
'I know I like her as more than a friend, but do I *love* her? Thats a major step... Admitting you love a girl... I think I might...  
  
She's captured my heart...'  
  
Cool October air fluttered his curtains through the open window. He stood and pushed back the cloth, about to shut the window. Then...  
  
He stopped, looking up at the stars. 'Since when did they get so bright?' He wondered. 'Almost like... Rin's smile... her eyes...'  
  
'Stars... That reminds me... A couple weeks ago I actually made a wish on a shooting star... That was stupid... But maybe its come true... Maybe Rin's my soul mate... Maybe I'll never be truly alone again...'  
  
Sess smiled just slightly, climbing out the window and onto the roof. And there he sat the rest of the night, leaning against the outside wall and stargazing.  
  
'Rin should be here to enjoy this with me... I know she'd love it...'  
  
~*~  
  
The weekend went by quickly. Sesshoumaru did call Rin the next morning, and the two had spent hours on the phone.  
  
Monday, 2nd period arrived. Rin felt a wave of nervousness as she got her books. Today was her first day of going to class like a normal student.  
  
Stepping into her english class, she noticed several students staring at her. She looked around nervously as she sat down in an empty seat towards the back. More students filed in and sat down in the remaining chairs, Sango and Inuyasha among them.  
  
Rin waved a bit to Sango, motioning for her to sit next to her. The other girl did so with a smile.  
  
"Hi Rin!"  
  
"Hi!"  
  
Sango didnt seem surprised that Rin was speaking again. Kagome had called and filled her in on what had happened at the movie theater. But, due to her job helping her father exterminate small youkai, she never got the chance to visit her in the hospital.  
  
The teacher was late obviously. The late bell had already rang. Several people were taking the opportunity to chat and copy yesterdays homework from those who had actually done it.  
  
"So, I've got a committee meeting today. We're going to book the band to play at the Halloween dance. I really hope everyone'll agree to let the Shichinin-tai play." Sango said.  
  
"Yeah. The gig would mean a lot to Jakotsu." The other girl stated, doodling on her notebook cover.  
  
"Yeah... So have you decided what kind of costume you're going to wear?"  
  
"No, I havent thought about that at all actually... Maybe you, me, Kagome, Inuyasha, Jakotsu, Bankotsu, Miroku, and Sesshoumaru could all choose our costumes together. You know, pick a theme or something." Rin suggested, pencil flying over the notebook cover.  
  
"Yeah! Thats a great idea! Theres going to be a costume contest too. I bet we could win the group category!"  
  
"That sounds like fun! Maybe we can go look at costumes after school today!"  
  
"Okay, I'll make sure Miroku, Kagome, and Inuyasha know. You tell Sesshoumaru, Jakotsu, and Bankotsu. Kouga and Ayame too if you can find em." Sango said excitedly, grinning.  
  
"Agreed."  
  
The teacher walked in just then and started class.  
  
~*~  
  
The committee meeting was just before lunch that day. Sango put her things in her locker and walked into the classroom they were meeting in. Several other students were already there, milling about, talking.  
  
The civics teacher, Mr. Heath entered the room and the meeting began.  
  
"So, first of all, we need a band to play. Any suggestions?" Mr. Heath asked, standing up while the students sat in randomly placed chairs.  
  
A dark-haired, blue eyed girl stood and spoke up. "I say we book Lord of Nightmares! I've already asked, and they said they would!"  
  
That was Amelia Seyruun, the mayor's daughter. Her family was super-rich and powerful and all that. She was considered popular, but she hung out with a bunch of punks usually.  
  
Mr. Heath wrote 'Lord of Nightmares' on the dry-erase board. "Okay Amelia. But first does anyone else have any suggestions?"  
  
Anzu Mazaki stood and said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "The Dark Angels will play again. We were a hit last time!"  
  
Sango rolled her eyes and stood, glaring at Anzu. "You guys werent a hit! Everyone HATED your stupid songs! And you cant sing to save your lives! Lord of Nightmares isnt much better Amelia. Only Lina and Xelloss are any good; the rest of them suck!" Both Anzu and Amelia looked furious at Sango's statements, even though they were all true.  
  
"Sit DOWN Sango!" Mr. Heath yelled, efficiantly breaking up any fight that may have come. "Do you have any better suggestions?"  
  
"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do." The punk girl stated. "I say we book the Shichinin-Tai. I've been to one of their practices and they ROCK!"  
  
So, Mr. Heath wrote 'Shichinin-tai' on the board under the other two. "We have 3 choices, I want everyone to vote. All for Lord of Nightmares, say I."  
  
After voting, the teacher looked a bit surprised. It had been a 3-way tie.  
  
"I guess we'll have to have tryouts. I want Sango, Amelia, and Anzu to let the 3 bands know that tryouts are tomorrow, Tuesday, in the auditorium, right after school. Meeting dismissed."  
  
So Sango left, running off to find Jakotsu and Bankotsu.  
  
~*~  
  
The exterminator found the two sitting with Sesshoumaru, Rin, Kouga, and Ayame underneath an old, gnarled oak tree, chatting animatedly.  
  
"Oi! Jakotsu! Bankotsu!" She shouted, running up and taking a seat between Jakotsu and Rin. "We voted on bands today at the meeting. We have to have tryouts this year. Its tomorrow, right after school, at the auditorium. You CAN make it right?"  
  
"Of course!" Jakotsu said, beaming. "Bankotsu and I will call up the rest of the band tonight, ne Ban-kun?"  
  
"Hai, koibito."  
  
"Great! Well, I gotta go find Miroku, Kagome, and Inuyasha." Sango waved a goodbye and ran across campus to find her other friends.  
  
"So, has anyone chosen their costumes yet? For the dance, that is." Rin asked, finishing off her sandwich.  
  
"No, I've been distracted lately." Sess answered. Rin knew very well what he had been distracted with... her.  
  
"Neither have Ban-kun and me, what with practices and all." Jakotsu added, snatching Bankotsu's apple and taking a bite.  
  
"Kouga, Ayame?"  
  
"I havent given my costume much thought." Ayame said, shrugging.  
  
"Me either." Kouga grabbed his girlfriend's soda and chugged it. Ayame giggled and whacked him playfully.  
  
"That was mine!"  
  
"Sango and I thought maybe we could all get together after school sometime and choose costumes together, like, pick a theme." Rin said, sipping her strawberry Gatorade. "Shes going to ask Miroku, Inuyasha, and Kagome."  
  
"Hey, that sounds cool! How about today? If everyone can make it of course." Sess said enthusiastically.  
  
"We're not doing anything." Ayame chirped happily, meaning her and Kouga.  
  
"Neither are Ban-kun and me!" Jakotsu was practically giggling with joy and excitement. Bankotsu nodded once and finished off a can of vanilla Pepsi.  
  
"Great! I have last period with Sango, I'll ask her what Kagome and Inuyasha and Miroku said then."  
  
"Okay." Sess agreed between large bites of his sandwich. The topic of conversation turned to a new horror movie, Freddy vs. Jason, that was coming out in a couple of weeks, as everyone finished off their lunches.  
  
~*~  
  
Rin sat at an empty desk at the back of her last period class, glancing around the room. It was almost empty; she was obviously a bit early.  
  
Sango soon joined her, sitting at the desk across the row. "Hi Rin!"  
  
"Hi Sango! So did you tell Inuyasha, Miroku, and my sister?" She asked, looking over at the punk girl.  
  
"Yeah I did. We're all free after school today."  
  
"Great! So is everyone else!"  
  
"Cool." Sango smiled, taking out her notebook for this class.  
  
"Where are we going to go for costumes?" Rin asked, taking a pencil out of her binder.  
  
"I know a few places. We can all meet up at the new pizza place, get something to eat, and then go shopping."  
  
"Sounds cool. We need to be thinking of possible themes too."  
  
"Yeah... Maybe we could do mideval times, ya know, knights, princesses, kings, queens; that sort of thing." Sango suggested, shrugging.  
  
"Or we could all go as anime couples."  
  
"Or dead people."  
  
"I see dead people!" Rin shouted randomly. Both girls erupted into laughter, Sango banging her head on the desk top.  
  
"Quiet down girls!" The teacher called from her desk up front. "Its time for class now, you can talk about whatever after school."  
  
"Yes Mrs. Williams." Sango muttered. Rin rolled her eyes. They both HATED Mrs. Williams; hell, EVERYONE hated her! She was the strictest, meanest teacher in the school and the whole freaking student body knew it. Mrs. Williams had given 50 vocabulary words on the first day for Kami's sake!  
  
As Mrs. Williams began her lecture, Rin and Sango brought out paper and took notes quietly for the rest of the hour.  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]Wheee... Anyway, I'm pretty sure Naoko2 was my 100th reviewer! Yay! =D If you want the cameo Naoko2, email me with the name you want to go by, physical appearance, and personality... and anything else you wanna add... ^^[/AN] 


	13. Chapter 13

[AN]WOOHOO!!! IM GETTING PART 7 OFF EBAY! =D SHICHININ-TAI EPS! YAYYYYYY! *dances* I'm in a really good mood today if you cant tell ^^  
  
***Review Responses***  
  
Liz.Q: Hmm... Well... I'm in a good mood today, so I can probably write in two people... Email me with your appearance, personality, name and junk! You HAVE been one of my more faithful reviewers, so yeah... Hey how'd you know what I was going to do? ;  
  
Ninetales122: Tomorrow is just your first day of school?! *has been in school for almost 3 weeks* Dude... Anyway, glad my story brightened up your day!  
  
chaotic-cloud: Arigatou! I'd email you, but I'm just lazy and I forget things easily...  
  
Demonlady1: ......um....... okay...... havent I been updating every freakin day though?..... (Ashura: Mage doesnt like it when people tell her to update soon and then dont say anything about the story itself... Trust me, she was a lot less polite to the screen just now...)  
  
hush: Ick, withdrawls... I know what that feels like... It aint a happy thing... No reading material whatsoever?! That had to really suck... Eek, creative writing... *shivers* Evil... Teachers never let one write what one wants ; isnt that what being creative is all about?! *goes off on a rant...*  
  
DiaBLo2: Yes, Sesshou would nevveeerrrr likey Kagome... And I just think he would love Rin... I'm a hardcore fluffyshipper, so... yeah... Anyway, arigatou! I know he's OOC, its hard to keep him IC... Especially in an AU... *shrug*  
  
NewFan: Glad you like it!  
  
Cookie6: Arigatou! The words just flowed when I wrote this story... Da wordses flow like ramen! =D Damn now I'm hungry... ; Oh, they'll get together in good time...  
  
===============================================  
  
The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Students stuffed their things into their bags and swarmed out in large crowds. Sango, Rin, Miroku, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Kagome, Kouga, Ayame, Jakotsu, and Bankotsu met outside in the student parking lot, crowding around the cars.  
  
"So where are we going to find costumes?" Bankotsu asked, looking around at the other teenagers.  
  
"I know a few places. First lets get something to eat though. Pizza anyone?" Sango asked. Everyone agreed and piled into the available vehicles; Kagome and Inuyasha crowded into the Jeep with Sesshoumaru and Rin, Kouga and Ayame got into Miroku's parents' car with him and Sango, and Jakotsu and Bankotsu got into Bankotsu's pride and joy: his black convertible.  
  
The teenagers quickly reached the new pizza place, staking their claim on a couple of booths towards the back. Of course Sesshoumaru sat by Rin, Miroku by Sango, Inuyasha by Kagome, Bankotsu by Jakotsu, and Kouga by Ayame.  
  
The waitress took their orders and went off to the kitchen, leaving the teens to discuss what costumes they were going to choose.  
  
"So, any suggestions for themes?" Jakotsu asked, moving into Bankotsu's lap and making himself comfortable.  
  
"We could do medieval stuff; ya know, knights in shining armor, princesses, princes, that kinda thing." Sango told her idea from class.  
  
Jakotsu giggled. "Ban-kun can be my knight in shining armor!"  
  
Bankotsu replied, with a bit of a smirk. "Then you get to be my princess. God knows you're feminine enough to play the part."  
  
"Hey! I can be manly!" Jakotsu crossed his arms over his chest, pouting. His boyfriend chuckled and hugged him.  
  
"I'm sure you can koibito."  
  
"Medieval junk is a pretty good idea, but I bet someone else is already going to do that. We need something really original." Inuyasha spoke up, nodding once.  
  
"Yeah, like... um... hm..." Kagome frowned a bit in thought, wracking her brain for an idea.  
  
"We could go as anime characters." Ayame suggested.  
  
"Nah, I don't think Sess and Inuyasha watch anime." Miroku said, earning mutters of 'yeah' from said silver-haired teenagers.  
  
"Okay, so anime is out of the question. How about things from horror movies?" Kouga was next to speak.  
  
"That. is lame." Inuyasha said, reaching over the table to whack Kouga. His action earned a hiss from Ayame, and he quickly withdrew his hand. "Eek, scary lady. oo;;"  
  
"We could... go as famous couples..." Sesshoumaru said, his arm snaking around Rin's shoulders. Kagome smacked him upside the head with a plastic napkin dispenser.  
  
"No. You just wanna do that so everyone'll think you and my sister are a couple." She said in a low voice, glaring.  
  
"Who says we aren't?" Rin said softly, smiling a little and blushing. Sesshoumaru grinned at Rin, then Kagome.  
  
"You heard her. We're a couple. So HA!" The older, silver-haired teenager stuck his tongue out at Kagome. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.  
  
"You are SO immature Sess!"  
  
"Oh Inuyasha, the village called. They're missing their IDIOT!" He glared at his younger half-brother, fixing to chuck the pepper shaker at his head.  
  
"Hey, that's it!" Miroku shouted, standing quickly. "We can all go as people from the feudal era of Japan!"  
  
"Yeah! That'd be SO COOL! And it's original too!" Jakotsu said happily.  
  
"I love it!" Sango leapt up and promptly kissed her boyfriend, arms thrown loosely about his shoulders.  
  
"I know just where to get that type of costume too!" Kagome seemed just as excited as the rest of them.  
  
The waitress arrived with the pizzas just then, and the 5 couples dug in, talking excitedly about their costumes.  
  
~*~  
  
After eating, the bill was split between Sesshoumaru, Miroku, and Kouga, and they piled into the vehicles again. With the Jeep in the lead, Kagome giving directions, they pulled up in the parking lot of a small costume shop near the edge of town.  
  
Inside, it was pretty nice; there was rough carpet on the floor, the lights were bright, and the salespeople friendly. Kimono, yukata, haori and hakama; all hung on racks crowded inside the small buildings. There were fancy obi folded neatly on tables and they also stocked other kimono accessories. And in the back were plastic swords and such, seeing as Halloween was coming up.  
  
The girls and Jakotsu all dragged off their respective guy to find the perfect costumes.  
  
"Ohhh what do you think of this one?" Jakotsu oohed and ahhed over a pale pinkish, short kimono with long sleeves and a green leaf design. There was nicely made armor that went on underneath it.  
  
"I like it. I think it'd look good on you." Bankotsu said, holding the kimono up to his boyfriend's slender frame. "Perfect."  
  
"And I know just which one you should wear!" The feminine boy grabbed a white haori/hakama set with blue over the shoulder of the haori off a rack and stuffed it into Bankotsu's arms. Blue and white swirled, one-shouldered armor and a plastic halberd followed. Jakotsu also picked a neat toy sword to go with his outfit; one that had several blades attached by pins so it extended.  
  
~*~  
  
Sango browsed through racks of kimono, muttering about having been scared away from dresses by certain perverts. Miroku followed, grinning sheepishly at her mutterings.  
  
"Aha!" Miroku found a costume hanging on a rack; it was a set of very realistic looking black and purple monk's robes that came with geta and a cool gold-painted staff. "Sango dearest, I've chosen my costume!"  
  
She arched an eyebrow at the monk robes. "A monk? You? Pah... Whatever."  
  
"Don't you like it dearest Sango?"  
  
"I'm sure it'd look good on you, you're just a little too... immoral to be a monk don't you think?" Sango blinked.  
  
"Why Sango, I'm offended!" He faked a pout, eyes sparkling with mischief.  
  
"Okay okay monk-boy." She smiled and shook her head, flipping through different kimono.  
  
"Oh Sango-dearest!" Miroku grinned, holding up something in front of her. "I know what you should wear!" It was a skin-tight, black bodysuit with pink armor and a pink sash.  
  
"Hey, at least it ain't a skirt." Sango took the demon slayer outfit from her boyfriend and chose a giant plastic boomerang to go with it.  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome skipped through the store happily, having chosen a pale pink kimono with a flower pattern and a darker pink obi. Inuyasha followed, grumbling.  
  
"Ohhh Inuyasha! I like this!" She took out a dark blue haori/hakama set and held it up to her boyfriend.  
  
"No, blue ain't my color."  
  
"Oh fine." She put it back and continued her search. "If blue isn't your color, what IS your color?"  
  
"I dunno, I like red I guess."  
  
Kagome immediately yanked a red haori/hakama set off a rack and held it out. The pants were billowy and gathered at the ankles and the haori had large sleeves with black thread around the hem. It came with a white under-robe.  
  
"I guess I can live with that." He said, shrugging and taking the offered costume.  
  
"And you need some accessories!" Kagome grinned and skipped off again. 10 minutes later, Kagome had found a purple bead and fang necklace and plastic sword to go with it.  
  
Inuyasha's dog ears twitched a bit as she slipped the rosary over his head and handed him the sword.  
  
"You're gonna look SO cyuuute!" She giggled, obviously having the time of her life.  
  
'Note to self: keep Kagome away from the sugar...'  
  
~*~  
  
Kouga and Ayame wandered the store aimlessly, looking at racks of kimono and yukata, not seeing anything.  
  
"I think we should pick something matching." Ayame suggested, putting back yet another kimono.  
  
"Sure Ayame-chan." He agreed, looking at things hanging on the wall. Then something caught his eye. It was a set of women's form-fitting armor, silver with a red breast plate and a white fur skirt and cape.  
  
Kouga imagined his girlfriend in the outfit, with her reddish-brown hair in pigtails and a purple flower stuck behind her ear.   
  
He took the costume off the wall and held it up to her body. "You'd look perfect in this." He said with a loving smile on his face.  
  
Ayame blushed a bit and took it. "You really think so?"  
  
"I don't think so; I KNOW so."  
  
"Flatterer..." Ayame giggled at his compliments and looked up at the wall the outfit had hung on. Near it was another set of armor- man's armor with brown fur on the shoulders and a brown fur wrap and leg warmers. It also had a matching headband.  
  
"If I'm going to wear this, you're going to wear THIS." Ayame smiled as she took down the brown fur costume and handed it to him.  
  
He chuckled. "Looks like we're going as a couple of wolf-warriors." He took two plastic katana from a discount bin and handed one to his girlfriend.  
  
"Perfect."  
  
"Yes, perfect."  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru browsed the shelves, more intent on finding something for Rin to wear, than for him.  
  
He looked through several fine kimono, all brightly colored and made of nice materials. None of them seemed to compliment her natural beauty though.  
  
He took a lovely violet-blue kimono off a rack and held it up to Rin's body, looking her over thoroughly. 'No, its too dark...' He shook his head and put it back.  
  
"Shouldn't you be looking for something for yourself, Sess?" She asked, face heating up as he took a good look at her.  
  
"I want to make sure you get the perfect kimono though. It has to really compliment your beauty. Then I'll find something for me."  
  
She smiled and stood on her tiptoes, planting a small kiss on his cheek. "You're so sweet..."  
  
He grinned. "Aren't I though?" She giggled and went off to look through more clothes.  
  
Sess checked most of the store and was about to give up on finding that perfect kimono, when something caught his eye. It was a flowing, white silk kimono with a pattern of pale pale pink sakura blossoms. It was delicately embroidered with silver thread and had a shiny silver obi.  
  
'It looks like something... an important Lady would wear...' He thought to himself, taking it off the rack. 'Its beautiful, just like Rin...'  
  
"Rin!"  
  
"Hai?" She stopped what she was doing and stepped closer to him. He held the kimono to her body and looked her over once more. Rin could feel her face heating up again.  
  
"I love it..." He whispered, gazing into those brown eyes he so loved. "Wear this one..."  
  
"Hai, of course Sesshoumaru..." She whispered back, just as soft. She noticed his eyes were softer than normal, like a pale liquid amber.  
  
He finally pulled his eyes away from her, needing to find a costume for himself.  
  
"What do you think of this one Sess?" She held up a set of royal-looking garments; the haori was snow white with a red pattern on the shoulder and on the flowing sleeves, the hakama were billowy and bunched at the ankles, the belt was long and intricate, with a yellow and blue swirl design. It came with armor, but he decided the armor was too bulky and put it back. He did however, take the two swords. One was sheathed, and the other was longer, and of a different design with no sheath.  
  
"It looks like something a youkai Lord would wear... I think it fits, don't you?" She asked, smiling warmly.  
  
"Yes, its nice..." He took the garments from her, and, noticing the others were ready, went up to the counter to pay.  
  
~*~  
  
After paying for their costumes, the teenagers walked outside and down the sidewalk towards where they had parked.  
  
Sesshoumaru's Jeep was parked a little further away than the others. A man walked out of a store nearby and shoved into Sess on his way to his own car. "Well, arent you gonna say sorry, punk?! You bumped into me!" The man growled out, shoving Sess again, on purpose this time.  
  
Rin seemed enraged. "Hey! Dont you talk to my boyfriend that way!" She leapt forward, eyes ablaze, and landed a punch square in the man's jaw.  
  
The foul, greasy man rubbed his jaw, growling. "Bitch! That fuckin hurt!"  
  
"Good! It was supposed to!"  
  
"Rin..." Sess started, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Stay outta this, okay?"  
  
"Sess! Are you going to LET him talk to you like that?!"  
  
"Let it go Rin." He spoke in a firm 'Obey me now' tone, a tone he had never used with her before.   
  
"Yeah bitch! Listen to your boyfriend!" The man reeled back and was about to punch her in the face, but Sesshoumaru moved in front of her just in time, getting punched in the eye.  
  
He staggered backwards into Rin, who fell onto her bottom with Sesshoumaru falling against her. The man sneered and left finally.  
  
"Sess, are you okay?" She placed her arms around him, rubbing his back gently, not noticing where his head currently was...  
  
His groans of pain soon became small, contented noises as he nuzzled his face into her chest.  
  
Rin felt a hot blush coming to her face, though she didnt even try to stop him. He looked up into her eyes, a sheepish grin on his face. His eye didnt look too bad, she noticed.  
  
"You pervert." She giggled. "I should slap you right about now."  
  
"Hey, it'd be worth the pain." He muttered softly, voice slightly muffled by Rin's shirt.  
  
"Ahem." A very angry-looking Kagome cleared her throat behind them. "Sess, get your face outta my sister's chest. Rin, slap him."  
  
"Kagome! Geez, I'm not a little girl any more! You dont have to protect me!" Rin lifted Sesshoumaru from her chest and looked at him in a mock-scolding manner. "And you need to behave."  
  
He grinned, though it was more like a smirk. "Yes, Rin."  
  
"Lets just hurry and go." Inuyasha started grumpily. "You two can get a room later..."  
  
"INUYASHA!" Kagome fumed.  
  
"Fine, okay. Sess, dont. If you value your life, dont." He shook his head, climbing into the back seat of the Jeep. Kagome followed and Sess and Rin sat up front.  
  
Finally, the three vehicles left for home.  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]Its around this chapter that I started getting bolder with my writing... Which means the characters got bolder and stuff gets more... PG-13... *giggles* Anyway, its 7:30AM and I gotta get to school... *shivers* evil place...[/AN] 


	14. Chapter 14

[AN]Meh... Sorry for not updating yesterday... I was just having one of those days where the only thing I want to do is sleep and watch Comedy Central... Gods I love standup... Anyway, a quick note to Liz.Q and Naoko2: You two are going to be in either chapter 23 or 24... Trust me, it'll be worth the wait...  
  
***Review Responses***  
  
NewFan: Arigatou! But I'm not that young... Mentally that is...  
  
Sesshomaru13: Gay people are cool man! =D Anyway, glad you like.  
  
Naoko2: *giggles* I dont think Sess would kiss her in front of everybody... Rinrin would be too embarassed XD And yes, Mrs. Williams is HORRIBLE... *shivers* god, she gave 30 vocabulary words on Monday and made it due at the END OF THE HOUR!! *mutters about algebra teachers that should burn in hell* Heh Oo; And in reply to your review for chapter 13: Perfect? *teary eyes* Arigatouuuuuuu! ^^  
  
dangerous-beans: ^^; Ya, a lot of people seem to like the way I write AU Ban/Jak... I'm thinking of writing them a side-story ^^; (Bankotsu walks in and mutters about how he and Jakotsu deserve it after all Mage has put them through already and is probably GOING to put them through...)  
  
chibi Nataly: I know Sess is OOC... But this is AU so he's been raised differently so he acts differently... Thats my reasoning anyway ^^; And my friends and I kinda got the feeling that Sesshoumaru liked his dad a lot so thats where Inutaisho's personality came from... I LOVE MY TAI-CHAN! *glomps Inutaisho...* (Inutaisho: GACK! ; Get off me... I'm much too old for you. ;;;) Eheh... ^^  
  
darkmoon0829: Agreed! =D Yus yus, that was cute... ^^  
  
evil squeede: Yessssss... Thats why I think Hojo's a creep that secretly wants to rape Kagome. ; Hes just TOO FREAKIN NICE... It aint normal dude Oo; *giggles* I'm glad I never had to deal with little sisters... I dont have ANY sisters... Oo;  
  
ElectricRain: Arigatou! Ya really think its a good plot? I think it would make an interesting story, but its still kinda cliche... *shrug* Yes, I agree. We Sess/Rin fans need a fanfiction site of our own!  
  
Cookie6: XD Sess is turning into a Miroku... *giggles* Yes da old man is a big fat stinky jerk... Mwahahahaha...  
  
Queenizzay: Fluffyshipping! WOOHOO! =D Hn... I dont think it'll go up to R... I couldnt write a lemon if I tried... Oo;  
  
hush: Heheh... ^^; Heres the next chapter, nice and fluffy with an extra side of fluff... Oo;   
  
Neko02: You can blame Ashura for turning our beloved Sess-chan into a temporary Miroku. (Ashura: *rolls eyes*) And as for Kagome being over protective of Rin, I thought it would be in her character. Rin IS her only little sister after all, and she doesnt like Sesshoumaru so... yeah...  
  
DemonLady1: (Ashura: Mage realizes this... But Mage gets pissed easily and stuff... And you have to admit, it IS kind of annoying to get an 'update soon' instead of comments on the story/constructive criticism...)  
  
Cricket-chan: Kanna isnt supposed to be evil. She's nice... She's just... not here Oo; She was such a minor character that I forgot about her... ^^;  
  
Shinnyu Kudzu: *giggles* Yes, I had fun writing that part... I dont really have any pictures of Ayame, I just know what she looks like cuz I've seen the episodes she's in... Oooohhh Jaken, I must think of a way to tie him in... So everyone can see him get his ass kicked! XD XD XD Ginta and Hakkaku already go to this school and I kinda forgot to put them in the dance, but they make their first appearance in chapter 20-somethin... As do Shippo and Souten ^^  
  
Tigerose08: Now that I think about it, Miroku DID say something like that, didnt he? Oo; so THATS where that came from... Hn... I guess Kagome hates Sess because of... past events where they didnt get along Oo I never really thought about it... I just... dont like the idea of Sess and Kag even being friends so... yeah...  
  
chaotic_cloud: ^^; Heh...  
  
Fantasy Goddess 001: Nu Oo; actually the greasy man was just a random greasy man... no significance (did I spell that right? ) to the story line... ;; And shhhh... Maybe... ;;;  
  
Liz.Q: Actually, you guessed what I was going to do XD I had that chapter pre-written, just like most of this story (up until 23 is prewritten). Dude I wanna be Jakotsu for halloween! That would be tight... No one would know who I was though Oo; Heh...  
  
Ookami Spirit Hishana: Oohhh okay... Oo; misunderstanding... Kagome is rather scary when angry, yes Oo; heh...  
  
Sailor X: I wasnt sure wether to put drama or humor in the second thing so thats why I put general... Oo; Anyway, arigatou!  
  
Crying Wasteland: Hehe... ^^; Always put off what can be done later, thats my motto, dat it is... yeah I've noticed that! i'm glad to know there are more hardcore Sess/Rin fans who dont like Sess/Kag too! =D *giggles* Lots of people seem to like that scene... (Ashura: *puffs out chest proudly* I wrote it! =D) As for Sess/Kag being wrong, it is! Sess wouldnt let any other female get close to him I dont think, especially his hated half-brother's wench! (No offense to Kagome...) Plus Kagome loves Inuyasha, seeing as they kiss in one of the movies... (Sorry for the spoiler!)  
  
Wakadori Ramen: EEP! oo; I forgot the pelt... *bangs head on desk* I'm... so... freaking... forgetful... and stupid... *bang* I think it was late when I wrote it... Ugh...  
  
duckknight: *giggles* Sess-chan and I are evil? Neat... And you can blame Ashura for turning Sess into a temporary Miroku... (Ashura: ^^) Da kimono I chose for Rin reminds you of a bridal kimono? Neeeaaattt... Oo; I had no clue... eheh... Dun worry, I couldnt write a lemon if I tried... Oo; Believe me, I HAVE tried...  
  
And thanks to everyone else who reviewed that I cant think of responses for because I'm really tired:   
  
???????  
  
Dante Gemini  
  
ladyofthedragons1  
  
MegaBuu  
  
Starr-chan  
  
Ninetales122  
  
DJ-girly83  
  
CharmedAngel  
  
(Mage is very sorry if Mage forgot someone, but Mage thinks that Mage isnt getting ALL her review alerts *glares at ff.net and yahoo*)  
  
===============================================  
  
Sesshoumaru dropped off Rin and Kagome at home and, after saying goodbye to Rin, he left with Inuyasha.  
  
Rin went upstairs to her room, the garment bag containing her costume in hand. Once inside, she locked the door behind her and hung the bag in her closet, that day's events flashing through her mind.  
  
'Sesshoumaru is so cute... and we're officially together...' Rin giggled aloud. 'I've never felt happier in my life! I guess this means we're going to the dance together... And a few days after the dance is Sesshoumaru's track meet.'  
  
Rin stared up at the ceiling, painted a dark black/blue and dotted with metalic silver. 'And now that I can speak again, I can cheer him on... But... why did I start then, of all times? He looked so worried... I guess I didnt want him to be...'  
  
'Wow... Sess is my first serious boyfriend... I really care for him... Maybe its... love? Maybe... I'm not sure yet...'  
  
Rin was startled out of her thoughts by Souta knocking on her door for dinner. Smiling, she went downstairs.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru went up to his room, needing to do some serious thinking about what was going on in his life.  
  
He flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. 'Are Rin and I moving too fast? I met her... what? 2 weeks ago? And now we're already officially a couple...'  
  
He saw a flashback of him nuzzling into Rin's chest. 'I couldnt help myself... She was so soft and warm... And she smelled good... Really good... I shouldnt have done that though... What if I scared her away? I think I wanna spend the rest of my life with her... But is it too early to think that? She seems to like me... But does she like me as much as I like her?'  
  
'I need to know... I really need to know how she feels about me... I need her to know I... I think I love her... But I'm not sure... God damn it, life never used to be this complicated...'  
  
"I'd better work on some of that homework..." He muttered to himself, taking his books out of his bag. At least homework would get his mind off other, more confusing aspects of life... for a little while...  
  
~*~  
  
After Sesshoumaru finished his homework, he put away his books and sighed. Glancing over at his clock, he saw it was about 7:30 and Rin just wouldnt leave his mind.  
  
'What is love anyway? How would I know if I was in love with someone? What would it feel like? God, I cant get this off my mind...'  
  
"Maybe I'll call Jakotsu... He fell in love with Bankotsu, he should know what its like..."  
  
Picking up the phone, he dialed Jakotsu's number, 525-6878 (it spells jakotsu! =D i'm so smart...) and sat in his desk chair.  
  
~*~  
  
Ring! Ring! Ring! "Damn damn damn!" Grumbling, Jakotsu got up from his make-out session on the couch with Bankotsu, and picked up the thrice damned phone. "Hello?" He spoke into the reciever, only a hint of annoyment in his voice.  
  
"Hey Jakotsu." It was Sesshoumaru.  
  
"Oh, hey Sess! Whats up?"  
  
"Not much... Did I interrupt something?"  
  
"No, not at all! ^^" Jakotsu covered the bottom part of the reciever and mouthed to his rather pissed looking lover, 'After this phone call love. Be patient.'  
  
Bankotsu sighed, nodded once, and stalked off to the kitchen to see if they had any whipped cream left over from last night... (*Mage shoves Ashura away from the keyboard now...*)  
  
"Are you sure I didnt interrupt anything?" Sess asked.  
  
"I'm totally sure Sess! So whats going on? You dont usually call me." Jakotsu stated into the reciever, flopping back into an armchair.  
  
"I've got something on my mind... I was hoping you could help me out..." Jakotsu noticed he was hesitating a bit.  
  
"Sure Sess, what is it?"  
  
"How does one know if one is in love?"  
  
He blinked, surprised by that question. "Why ya wanna know? You in love with someone?"  
  
"Thats what I need help figuring out, Ja-kun." On the other line, Sess was rolling his eyes.  
  
A sly smirk spread over Jakotsu's slightly feminine features. "This is about Rin-chan isnt it?"  
  
".......Maybe."  
  
Jakotsu giggled with glee. "It is!"  
  
"Okay, it is... Now just tell me..."  
  
"Well... When you're around someone you truly love, you... never want to leave their side I guess. When you're with that person, you feel like nothing can go wrong. And you never feel lonely..." He said, staring at the ceiling in thought. That was how HE felt around Bankotsu, and as they say, love is universal.  
  
Sesshoumaru nodded, pacing his bedroom. He did feel like that around Rin. "Yeah..."  
  
"And you care so deeply for the other person, that you'd sacrifice even your own life for their happiness."  
  
"I know I'd sacrifice anything for her... Jakotsu, I think I'm in love..."  
  
"Finally! I've known you were in love since I first saw you with Rin-chan! Ya know, you're slower than you look." Jakotsu burst into a fit of giggles.  
  
"Oh shut up..."  
  
"So are you going to tell her?"  
  
"I want to... But I dont know how she feels about me..."  
  
"I think she feels the exact same way Sess, she just seems so much happier when she's with you."  
  
"Ya really think so?"  
  
With a confident tone in his voice, Jakotsu smiled and said, "I know so."  
  
"Thanks Ja-kun..." Sess sat on the edge of his bed, smiling. Maybe Rin did feel the same way... Jakotsu was pretty good at sensing this kind of thing... "And dont forget the English assignment tonight. Mrs. Endicott'll be PISSED if you dont do it."  
  
Then Bankotsu came through the doorway into the living room, shirtless, smirking seductively, and holding a can of whipped cream and a jar of marachino cherries...  
  
Jakotsu gave his lover a grin and spoke into the reciever again. "I dont think Ban-kun's gonna let me... Gotta go now Sess, seeya tomorrow at school! Bye." Click. He hung up.  
  
~*~  
  
Sess hung up the phone, blinking. "Eheh... I didnt need to know that... I really didnt..."  
  
'Well... I'm in love with Rin... I've admitted it... I just need to find the perfect way to tell her now...'  
  
He laid back on his bed, sinking into the feathery pillows. Closing his eyes, he wracked his brain for ideas until one came...  
  
'Thats it! Its perfect!'  
  
~*~  
  
The next morning, Tuesday, Sess awoke, feeling more refreshed than usual, like he had gotten a great weight off his chest. He didnt feel tired in the least, nor did he feel like going back to bed; and he wasnt even a morning person!  
  
He stretched and got out of bed, digging through his closet for a shirt. He finally threw on a white ringer t-shirt with the number 77 on it in red and a pair of jeans.  
  
He went about combing his hair, which was probably getting a little too long, brushing his teeth, that sort of thing, then went down to breakfast, taking the stairs three and four at a time, even though he almost twisted his ankle doing that. Sess was just too happy to care.  
  
He sat at the table and hurried through his breakfast, eager to get to school and see Rin. Though his behavior earned quite a few odd stares from his family, he just... didnt care. NOTHING was going to ruin his mood today.  
  
"Hey Sess, can you give me a ride? My car's still in the shop." Inuyasha asked, finishing off his orange juice.  
  
"Just take the Jeep yourself, I think I'm going to walk today." Sess felt like he had almost too much energy, and needed to burn some of it. He tossed his keys across the table to his younger brother, grabbed his bag, and jogged out the door, with a yell of "Bye Dad! Bye Mom!"  
  
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, as did Inutaisho. "What the hell is up with him?"  
  
Mitsuko laughed a bit as she began to clear the table, happy that after all these years, he had finally called her 'mom'.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru felt his mood rise as he jogged down the sidewalk on his way to school. It was a great morning! The sun was shining brightly overhead, it wasnt too cold for late October, and there wasnt a cloud in sight.  
  
He slowed as he got about half-way and passed the park. The teenager noticed a young couple sitting on a bench cuddling, and he grinned. 'That'll be me and Rin soon... Very soon...'  
  
"After college, we'll spend the rest of our lives together..." He whispered to himself. "I'll run my father's company and..."  
  
Images came to his mind as he said this. Images of his father returning home late, sometimes several nights a week. Images of a 6 year old him, sitting on the couch trying to stay awake, waiting for his father to return.  
  
"I dont want to be that kind of father, do I?... With no time for my wife or children..."  
  
He shook his head as if to clear it. "I shouldnt worry about that yet, I cant take over the company until after I graduate from college. For today, I'll focus on Rin."  
  
He walked the rest of the way to school contentedly; Sess could practically HEAR the inspirational J-pop music playing in the background, like in movies... V6's Change the World maybe.   
  
Sesshoumaru Iizuki had a whole new outlook on life, and everything was going to be great, he could just feel it.  
  
~*~  
  
Skip to lunch because I'm lazy and nothing happens between then and now anyway...  
  
Sess grabbed his lunch out of his locker and jogged out of the building onto campus, golden eyes scanning the area for his friends. He spotted Rin, Sango, Miroku, Jakotsu, and Bankotsu sitting in the midst of 3 trees that formed sort of a U shape.  
  
"Hey guys!" He called, running over and taking his spot beside Rin.  
  
"Hi Sess!" Rin smiled brightly and actually hugged him. Sess smiled back at her, putting his arms around her small body.  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome joined the group a few minutes later, but not Kouga and Ayame since they were off hanging out with Ginta and Hakkaku.  
  
"So, tryouts are today. We've been practicing a couple new songs." Bankotsu stated, unwrapping a turkey sandwich.  
  
"Yeah! Deer Dance and Chop Suey!" Jakotsu added, promptly grabbing and taking a bite of said sandwich. Bankotsu narrowed his eyes and lightly thwapped the other.  
  
"MY sandwich." He grabbed it back and began to eat it quickly. Jakotsu shrugged and sipped his soda.  
  
"I cant wait to hear those songs." Rin said, smiling encouragingly. "I bet they're really good."  
  
"Yeah! You guys are like, the best!" Sango shouted sincerely, then went back to peeling her orange.  
  
"Hey, is everyone free on Friday night?" Miroku asked, stabbing a straw into his capri sun.  
  
"I think so." Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Why?"  
  
"Well, Miroku and me were figuring that we could all get together, ya know, all of us, including Ayame and wolf boy, on Friday and sleep over at our place, since mom and dad wont be home that weekend." Inuyasha said, looking up from his sandwich.  
  
"That sounds fun Inuyasha!" Kagome chirped happily, throwing her arms around her boyfriend's neck.  
  
"Yeah, it does, doesnt it Sess?" Rin asked, looking over at him and catching his golden gaze. Entranced by her eyes, he nodded stupidly, only snapping out of it when he heard her giggle.  
  
Miroku grinned pervertedly. "I have a feeling there wont be much sleeping going on at this sleepover..." He mumbled, his hand creeping towards a certain part of Sango's anatomy, only to be brutally smacked away.  
  
"Hentai. --"  
  
"Eheh... Gomen Sango-chan..."  
  
"Personally, I think a sleepover is a great idea." Jakotsu said, shrugging and snatching his boyfriend's apple.  
  
"Yeah, sure." Bankotsu snatched the apple back, withdrew his small knife from his pant pocket and cut the apple in half, giving one half to Jakotsu.  
  
"Arigatou Ban-kun! ^^"  
  
The topic of conversation turned to the tryouts again, and how the Shichinin-tai would do.  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]Argh... Has anyone noticed the increase in Sess/Kags in the R section? Ick ick ick... Its hard to find a decent R anymore ;;; *mutters about needing her sess/rin lemons to survive, then about blenders... Oo*[/AN] 


	15. Chapter 15

The bell rang, and the group started inside, Jakotsu, Bankotsu, Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku going ahead. Sesshoumaru and Rin hung back a bit.  
"Hey... ah... Rin..." He stepped a bit closer to her as he spoke, so she could hear him over the clamor of the passing crowd.  
"Yeah?" She looked up at him with those big brown eyes he so loved. "What is it"  
"Tomorrow night, at 6... Can you meet me at Funbari Hill? Theres... something I have to tell you... Its really important..." He said, rather hesitantly. The butterflies in his stomach were already making themselves known.  
"Tomorrow at 6? Okay, sure, Sess." Rin smiled a bit, and he smiled back.  
"Great! Thanks"  
"Its no problem"  
The short, 1-second warning bell rang, signifying they only had a few more minutes to get to class.  
"We'd better go..." Sess stated, starting inside. Rin nodded once and followed. The two soon parted and went to their seperate classes.  
Kagura ducks around the corner as she saw Sesshoumaru hang back with Rin. What were those two talking about?  
She strained her ears and caught snatches of their conversation.  
"Tomorrow night, at 6... Can you meet me at Funbari Hill?...something i have to tell you...important"  
'Funbari Hill, tomorrow night at 6, huh? So he has something to tell his little wench...' A smirk spread over her heavily made-up face. 'Well, Sessy-dear wont get the chance to'  
An evil plot was already forming in Kagura's twisted mind. 'I predict Sesshoumaru and Rin will have a very messy breakup soon... I always get the guy I want, and this time, I want Sesshoumaru'  
Her smirk widened a bit, and as the warning bell rang, she slipped inside, unnoticed by the two she had been spying on. Luckily, someone very important to her scheme was in her next class.  
Kagura scrawled furiously on a piece of notebook paper in purple ink, making it look like she was taking notes. Mr. Heath drawled on about government at the front of the classroom, oblivious.  
She quickly explained her plan and wrote the question "will you help?" on the paper, then folded it up several times. Coyly, she lifted her arms into the air, acting like she was stretching, and dropped the tiny folded paper onto the desk behind her, Nazuna Oyamada's desk.  
Kagura went back to 'taking notes' after glancing quickly behind her. Nazuna was giving her a look as if she were crazy as she unfolded the piece of paper. Nazuna wasnt very popular; in fact, hardly anyone knew she existed. So just WHY would the most popular girl in school be dropping a note onto HER desk!  
Nazuna quickly read the paper, taking notes in between sentences. She was a bit surprised by the time she had finished looking over it. Kagura needed her help to get a guy?  
'Well... if I do this, I wont EVER have a chance at the hottest guy in school... But if I dont, Kagura'll hate me and I'll never be popular and I wont have a chance at ANY hot guy'  
Nazuna looked up at Kagura, then back down at her paper. 'I'll do it.' She quickly printed her answer on the bottom of the paper with her dark green pen, and slipped the note back to Kagura.  
Kagura read the response and smirked, uncapping her pen and writing 'Good. Be at Funbari Hill at least 30 minutes before 6 tomorrow. You know what to do.  
The note was passed back to Nazuna, who nodded once and went back to taking notes on branches of government as Mr. Heath continued his lecture.  
After school, Sango quickly gathered up her homework and hurried to the auditorium, flying across the dying lawn. She entered through the side door and went down to the front row of seats, where the rest of the committee was seated, along with Mr. Heath. She dropped her bag on the floor and sat at the end of the row, farthest away from Amelia Seyruun, who was arguing with Ishizu Ishtar about which band would be chosen: Lord of Nightmares, or the Dark Angels.  
'Theyre not even considering the Shichinin-tai...' Sango thought, shaking her head. Jakotsu and the boys would blow those other amatures away, that was a definate.  
She could hear clattering backstage, and voices. Two of the bands were warming up instruments, while the other was just warming up their voices and finding their tapes.  
"Okay," Mr. Heath shouted, jogging up the stage steps. "Auditions start in 5! Hurry and warm up"  
Jakotsu took a long drink out of a water bottle. "We're auditioning for our first gig! Isnt it exciting Ban-kun?" He asked, grinning. Bankotsu nodded, plugging in his amp. Suikotsu was sitting in a hard plastic chair, going over lyrics in his mind and hoping to whatever God was up there that he wouldnt have a personality change in the middle of it.  
Suikotsu had a severe case of split personality disorder; sometimes the nice, sweet boy would go all evil on people without warning. He had been able to control it lately though.  
Bankotsu looked over at Renkotsu, who was absentmindedly pressing keys on his keyboard, playing snatches of melody. The braided boy hoped 'Baldie' as he so loved to call Renkotsu, wouldnt screw things up for them. Renkotsu wasnt as close to the other boys, and was known to get into fights with Jakotsu. 'Baldie' wouldnt ever get a punch in though; Bankotsu made sure of that.  
Kyokotsu, Ginkotsu, and Mukotsu were currently involved in a light-hearted conversation. Obviously they werent nervous; hell, they had nothing to worry about. They knew the music, they didnt have to sing, they were already warmed up.  
Bankotsu glanced over at the other two bands. Anzu, Mai, and Shizuka were busy choosing a song. 'Amatures...' He thought in disgust. 'They should have already have chosen a song'  
Then he looked to Lord of Nightmares. Lina was going over last minute preperations with Xelloss; Sylphiel and Fillia were both going over lyrics a final time, obviously both were nervous, and Gourry was just sitting there, drumsticks in hand, waiting for orders from his girlfriend Lina.  
'Lord of Nightmares is the only competition we'll have... Who knows, maybe Lina and Xelloss figured out how to drown the rest of the band out with their parts. That wouldnt be good for us...' Bankotsu thought, sighing quietly.  
Mr. Heath stepped backstage just then. "Dark Angels, you're up fi"  
He was interrupted by Shizuka bursting into tears and yelling, "I HATE YOU MAI! YOU KNOW JUSTIN'S HOTTER THAN ANY BACKSTREET BOY!" She ran out of the auditorium, being followed by a screaming and yelling Mai.  
Mr. Heath sweatdropped. "Uh"  
Anzu sighed. "I'm sorry Mr. Heath"  
"Well, since the rest of your group isnt here, I guess youre out. Sorry Anzu"  
"AW MAN! THIS BITES!" Anzu grabbed the box of pop CDs, their boombox, and stormed out of the auditorium after the other two girls.  
"Well at least we dont have to sit through their ear-splitting pop music." Jakotsu stated happily, breaking the silence that ensued.  
Mr. Heath just shrugged. "Well then, I guess Lord of Nightmares is up first"  
Lord of Nightmares' equipment was set up on stage, and the band took their places. Xelloss stepped up to the mic.  
Sango assumed he was lead singer instead of Lina for this particular song.  
The rest of the band started up a melody, a happy, upbeat one and Xelloss began singing.  
The music faded out with the final note. Amelia leapt from her seat and gave an enthusiastic standing ovation. "Great guys! Xelloss, you were awesome"  
Xelloss grinned his trademark grin and did an over-dramatic bow with a sweep of his arm, as the rest of the audience clapped politely. Sango scoffed. Gourry, on drums, was off most of the time, and both Fillia and Sylphiel, background singers, were a bit off-key.  
"Very good you guys! Now, clear the stage." Mr. Heath directed. The band cleared the stage of their instruments as the Shichinin-tai set up theirs onstage. Kyokotsu and Ginkotsu did most of the lifting though, seeing as they were the biggest.  
Jakotsu adjusted the mic to his height; Xelloss was a bit shorter than him after all. Bankotsu gave his boyfriend a quick kiss on the cheek for good luck, and a couple of the wilder yaoi fangirls on the committee, a dark-haired younger girl named Jade and her blonde best friend Cloey, cheered loudly and began to chant 'Kiss him! Kiss him!'. Their male friend, a dark gothic guy named Daemon, promptly whacked both over the head.2  
"Shut UP you two!" He muttered, rolling his eyes. Sometimes he just didnt get girls.  
Bankotsu laughed a bit; that was a reaction he and Jakotsu didnt get very often. And so, to please the fans, he leaned in and kissed the other boy tenderly on the lips. Jade and Cloey stood on their seats and cheered more, laughing. Jakotsu smirked inwardly and deepened the kiss, before Mr. Heath started yelling at them to break it up and get on with the performance, and for Jade and Cloey to sit down and shut the hell up.  
Bankotsu whispered to Jakotsu as he pulled away. "Lets do this"  
"Yeah." Jakotsu smiled as Bankotsu took his place again, then the smaller boy stepped up to the mic.  
The boys with instruments started up the melody, the guitar and drums prominent. Then the music got a bit louder, and Jakotsu began to sing.  
Jakotsu's voice faded away and Sango was amazed. Jakotsu had the best singing voice she had ever heard. And the music was flawless!  
She, and a few others, including Daemon, Jade, and Cloey gave the Shichinin-tai a standing ovation, cheering.  
"That was great guys!" Sango shouted happily, running onstage to give each member of the band a friendly hug and her congrats.  
"Thanks Sango-chan!" Jakotsu said, smiling and hugging her back. "I just wish the rest of the guys coulda been here"  
"I know they wanted to Jakotsu." She said. "But Mr. Heath said committee members and band members only. Dont worry though," She grinned confidently. "They'll see you guys at the Halloween dance"  
Bankotsu laughed a bit. Mr. Heath started the voting, handing each committee member a square of paper and a pencil. "Okay people, I'm giving you some time to decide. You've got 10 minutes"  
10 minutes later, he collected the ballots and counted them up. "I've got the results! And the band that will play at the Halloween dance is..." 


	16. Chapter 16

[AN]Ugh... Mage was almost going to not update today because Mage is pissed as hell... Mage was having a good day... At lunch, Mage got to hang out with Michael and Bradley, who are THE two coolest guys I know... Then Chad stole Mage's shoe, but Mage knows dat Chad was just playing around... And Mage got her shoe back after she threatened to beat his ass with it ^-^... Then 6th period civics came and the almighty jerk Matt stole my pritty green pen and wouldnt give it back no matter how many times i made death threats... v.v Then he had the nerve to break it... then he hit me with his textbook 7 times... Mage's head hurts still... v.v Sorry, but I had to get that out of my system... Now for review responses...  
  
dangerous-beans: o.o;;; rabid... hamsters... rodents... evil... *clings to ceiling fan* J/B story be out soon oo;; i started it last night dat mage did... NO HURT MAGE! o.o;;; Oohhh good rin/sessy? okay, me advertise! see the bottom authors note... and thats true, but Sess/Kag is still icky   
  
serpentilewitch: Arigatou for all the reviews! =D  
  
duckknight: sorry 'bout the cliffy... i dont READ Sess/Kag, I just see them on the list... *shivers* i hate those evil things... Long live fluffyshipping!  
  
Cookie6: XD interesting phrase... Here's the next chap.  
  
pensquared: thanks!  
  
monkeybaby7: Oo; here it is...  
  
Ninetales122: yesh ^^  
  
LewsTherinInsanity: cataclysm? Ooohhhhh... thats a good word... not nearly as good as psychosomatic though! =D psychosomatic's my fave word for some odd reason... Meep Oo;  
  
evil squeede: Exactly!! Plus, Kagome admits that she loves Inuyasha! Not to mention they kiss in one of the movies...  
  
Pori-Pori: Arigatou!  
  
CharmedAngel: Well, now you can find out ^^  
  
Dragon Of Sea: Thanks! Yes, its nice when an author updates their stories often...  
  
chibi Nataly: Yessshhh... Preps do that, me dont know why... *shrugs* it must be standard prep procedure or something...  
  
EvilBunnies1: thanks!  
  
Naoko2: Eheh... You'll see wether she sees the evil plot or not...  
  
Mega Buu: Mage is modest? Oo; dude... Mage thought mage was a bitch! XD Mage's friends agree and Mage is proud of her title... mwaha ^^ I like the songs too! =D I love rock... Oohhh Love Before Honor? I think I've read that... Yeah, the goth/punk rocker themes do reflect my interests... I'm goth/punk myself ^^ the only one in the 8th grade...  
  
Liz.Q: gomen about the cliffy ^^ YES I LOVED THE JA/BAN BADGE! ^_^ ITS SO CUTE! mwee... Yes, I read Bittersweetness! ALL YOU PEOPLE READING THIS SHOULD GO READ THAT! ITS GOOD DAMN IT!  
  
ladyofthedragons1: gomen ne ^^  
  
Neko02: You'll see wether they get the gig or not... mwee ^^ People hate Kagura... That means I'm doing my job in making her a bitch! =D  
  
Ookami Spirit Hishana: Hehe... Sorry, Kagura doesnt die... I cant do that to her... Even though I hate her ; Nazuna is actually from the series. She was the girl who Inuyasha saved in the episode with the spider-heads... Which was the first new moon that we see Inuyasha on. ^^  
  
Deadly Tears: Arigatou!  
  
chaotic_cloud: Mage sowwy ^^  
  
Wakadori Ramen: Heyyy! ; I love System of a Down! Chop Suey is their best song dude! Anyway, by Sess/Kag I mean Sess/Kagome... Though Sess/Kagura is just as bad ;  
  
hush: Mage does too like hush-san! Mage just doesnt write longer chapters because Mage has most of this story pre-written... Thats how I update so fast... noodles... mwaha... *eats ramen* ^^  
  
===============================================  
  
Setting down the ballots, Mr. Heath looked to the committee and the two bands. Every student in the room looked anxious. Jakotsu was biting his nails nervously, Bankotsu was tapping his foot impatiently, Xelloss was hopping from one foot to the other excitedly, and Lina was sighing every five seconds.  
  
Sango was tapping her finger against the armrest of her seat, glancing from Lord of Nightmares, to the Shichinin-tai, and back and forth again. Amelia seemed her ever-cheerful self, though she also seemed confident.  
  
"And the band that will be playing at the Halloween dance is... The Shichinin-tai!" Mr. Heath shouted out. Jakotsu began jumping up and down excitedly, then began to dance with his boyfriend. The rest of the band were all congratulating each other. Sango jumped up to join Jakotsu and Bankotsu, squealing happily.  
  
"I knew it! I knew you'd get it!" Sango yelled, laughing and hugging each and every band member for the second time that day.  
  
Lina rolled her eyes and muttered to herself. Xelloss sighed audibly, but kept his trademark grin up. The rest of the band and Amelia looked disappointed too.  
  
After she had calmed down, Sango looked around at the committee, trying to determine who had voted for the Shichinin-tai. She knew the band had gotten Jade's and Cloey's votes, most likely because of Jakotsu and Bankotsu. She also knew she had gotten Daemon's vote, because of the music though.  
  
'Who else?' She thought, looking at the others. A silver-haired, golden-eyed senior with little orange tinted glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose was smirking. Ilpalazzo. 'So he voted for them too... That means we got Excel and Hyatt's votes too!'  
  
Excel and Hyatt did whatever their beloved 'Ilpalazzo-sama' told them to and would have voted for whoever he had voted for. She also knew she had voted for the Shichinin-tai, so that made 7 votes. There were 12 on the committee, so there were only 4 that COULD have voted for Lord of Nightmares, since Anzu had left.  
  
Sango looked over at the band and saw Jade and Cloey begging Jakotsu and Bankotsu to kiss again; both girls had cameras in hand. She rolled her eyes. Those two were somethin else.  
  
Daemon grabbed his two best friends by the backs of their jackets and dragged them out of the auditorium, with a 'Congrats you guys.' directed at the band.  
  
As the rest of Lord of Nightmares and the committee filed out of the auditorium, Sango turned to the Shichinin-tai. "Congrats again! C'mon, ice cream on me!"  
  
"ALL RIGHT!" Suikotsu immediately ran out the door.  
  
Bankotsu laughed. "Youre gonna regret that one Sango. No one can keep Suikotsu from his rocky road."  
  
She giggled. "Ah well, you guys deserve it." So Sango, Jakotsu, and Bankotsu followed after Suikotsu. Turns out, the other band members had to get home, and Renkotsu just didnt wanna go.  
  
On the way out to the parking lot, Sango took her cell phone from her jacket pocket and dialed Rin's cell phone number.   
  
"Hello?" Rin answered.  
  
"Hi Rin! Its Sango!"  
  
"Hey Sango-chan!"  
  
"They did it! The band got the gig!"  
  
All three boys heard the loud squeal that came from Sango's cell phone. She winced, holding the phone away from her ear.  
  
"Thats great Sango!"  
  
"Yeah, I gotta go now. Treating the guys to ice cream. Tell Sess if you havent already, kay?"  
  
"Kay! Bye Sango!"  
  
"Bye Rin." Sango pressed the end button and put the small phone up. She climbed into the driver's seat of her truck while Jakotsu, Bankotsu, and Suikotsu got in on the passenger's side, Jakotsu sitting on his boyfriends lap with Suikotsu in the middle. The truck started with a roar, and pulled out of the parking lot, heading in the direction of the ice cream parlor.  
  
Turns out, Sango DID come to regret her offer.  
  
~*~  
  
The next day at lunch, Jakotsu's class had been released a few minutes early, so he started out onto campus alone. Sitting amidst the half-ring of trees that had come to be the group's spot, he nibbled on a strawberry out of his lunch bag, waiting for Bankotsu and the others.  
  
He didnt count on having an encounter with Kagura that day, so it came as a surprise when she approached him, surrounded by her usual groupies, Yura, Tsuyu, and Tsubaki. This time though, three guys were with them.  
  
He recognized Nobunaga, Tsuyu's boyfriend, but the other two, he hadnt seen before. The smaller guy was better looking, with dark hair in a braid and a devious smirk on his face. Actually, he looked a little like Bankotsu, but only a little bit. The other seemed to be the good-looking guy's brother, though he was rather... large, to put it kindly, and pale. He had but three hairs on top of his egg-like head and a tiny black braid at the back of his neck.  
  
Jakotsu stood, looking warily from the dark haired boy, to the bald boy, to Nobunaga, then to Kagura.  
  
"Hello, Queer." Kagura said, a smirk on her heavily made-up face. Jakotsu glared.  
  
"Dont call me that Bitch."  
  
The pale, bald guy stepped forward, beady eyes narrowed. "DONT call Kagura-sama a bitch, you fruit!"  
  
"Look, what do you preps want?" Jakotsu asked venomously, his muscles tensing.  
  
"I want revenge for the black eye your boyfriend gave me." Kagura stated icily. "Hiten, Manten, take him off campus. The convenience store nearby should be far enough from school."  
  
"Hai!" Both brothers shouted, each grabbing one of Jakotsu's arms. The smaller boy struggled, but to no avail.  
  
He was taken off campus and dragged all the way to the nearest convenience store parking lot. Unluckily for Jakotsu though, the parking lot was empty.  
  
~*~  
  
Bankotsu, Sesshoumaru, and Rin walked out to their group's usual spot, only to find that Jakotsu wasnt there like he usually was on Wednesdays.  
  
"Where is he?" Bankotsu wondered aloud, glancing around worriedly. If Jakotsu wasnt here, something was obviously wrong. His 5th period teacher, Mrs. Bluethman, always let his class out early on Wednesdays, since she had duty that day.  
  
"What the...?" Rin's eyes narrowed in confusion as she picked up the ziploc bag that contained Jakotsu's lunch. "Somethings wrong you guys... He wouldnt have just left without eating even..."  
  
Bankotsu's eyes widened. "Oh god... Ja-chan..."  
  
Sesshoumaru studied the ground, frowning. What the hell had happened?! He spotted grass, torn up as if someone had dug their heels into it to prevent being dragged away.  
  
"There was a struggle..." He said, red beginning to cloud his vision. Sess knew just who had set this up. And by the horrified look on Bankotsu's face, he knew it too.  
  
"Kagura..."  
  
~*~  
  
"Let me go you bunch of baboons!!!" Jakotsu screamed, kicking at his captors furiously. His foot caught Manten in the shin, and the pale, bald boy immediately let go to nurse his new forming bruise. Jakotsu punched Hiten in the face with his free hand, then yanked his other hand free.  
  
Hiten growled, rubbing his cheek. "Oh you are going to PAY for marring my perfect face!" His fist caught the smaller boy in the jaw and hurled him backwards.  
  
Jakotsu moaned in pain, rubbing his sore jaw. That one was definately gonna hurt in the morning. Manten grabbed his arms from behind and held him tightly. Hiten stepped up and began to punch Jakotsu repeatedly, in the face and in the gut.  
  
He cried out in pain and struggled against the strong arms holding him still. "LET ME GO!"  
  
"Shut up you!" Hiten landed a kick to the boy's shins, then punched him again. The pain was too much; Jakotsu fell limp, breathing hard and whimpering slightly.  
  
"Thats a good little freak." Hiten smirked and drew a small, concealed knife from his pocket. The knife glinted cruelly in the afternoon sunlight; blood coated the metal as the sharp edge was run along the smooth, paleish skin of Jakotsu's cheek.  
  
He hissed in pain. "God damn it!"  
  
"Cry for me." Hiten's features twisted into a cruel, sadistic smirk. Jakotsu glared and spat at his feet.  
  
"Never."  
  
Hiten glared and slashed the knife down Jakotsu's chest, ripping his shirt and staining it with blood from the long cut. Jakotsu cried out, unable to take any more of this.  
  
"You bitch. I cant kill you, but I can make you suffer."  
  
A face flashed before Jakotsu's eyes... Bankotsu... He had one chance to call out... And he hoped to whatever god was up there that his boyfriend would hear him. "BANKOTSU!!!"  
  
~*~  
  
Bankotsu ran like the wind, Sess and Rin close behind. "Jakotsu?! Jakotsu?! JAKOTSU?!" He called out, eyes darting wildly from one side of the street to the other. He just had to find Jakotsu!  
  
"Jakotsu, answer me! Please! Koibito, where ARE you?!" Bankotsu was panicking now. Someone had taken his koibito and who knew what they were doing to him?!  
  
He faintly heard his best friends calling out for Jakotsu in the background; he couldnt clearly hear anything but the quick beating of his heart and his own screams.  
  
Then, another sound penetrated his ears.  
  
"BANKOTSU!!!"  
  
"KOI!!!" Bankotsu came upon the convenience store parking lot, and the sight sickened and angered him. There was his koibito, being held roughly by Manten, covered in blood. His shirt was ripped down the middle, and Hiten hovered over him with a bloody knife in hand.  
  
Sess and Rin jogged up behind him, panting. He heard Rin gasp in horror as her eyes fell upon Jakotsu. Sesshoumaru saw red again, anger filling his mind and blocking out all else.  
  
Bankotsu and Sesshoumaru ran forward, leaving Rin stunned. The two immediately set upon the bastards, Bankotsu knocking Manten to the ground with a well-placed punch. Sesshoumaru fought fiercely with Hiten, taking a few blows, but not really feeling them. He was just too angry.  
  
"YOU BASTARDS! HOW DARE YOU HURT MY FRIEND?!" Sesshoumaru screamed, landing a punch in Hiten's jaw. "HE DIDNT DO ANYTHING TO YOU!!"  
  
"AH DAMN IT!" Hiten rubbed his jaw, backing away. He glared as he knelt beside Manten and helped his younger brother up. "C'mon Brother, we're done here."  
  
The Thunder Brothers left, nursing their injuries. Slowly the red faded from Sess's vision, and he looked down to see Bankotsu sitting on the ground, cradling a barely consious Jakotsu to his chest.  
  
"Ja-chan... how could they do this to you?..." His voice was choked with tears. His eyes blurred with the salty liquid. "My Ja-chan..." He held Jakotsu tightly, protectively, stroking his boyfriend's dark hair.  
  
"I'm so sorry I didnt come sooner... I got here as fast as I could... Honest..." Bankotsu felt the tears roll down his cheeks; he was crying, in front of someone no less, but he didnt care. It didnt matter. Nothing but Jakotsu mattered right now.  
  
Rin ran over, tears trailing down her cheeks also. "Oh god..." She whimpered, looking horrified. Sesshoumaru drew her to his chest, holding her, feeling a need to comfort his distressed love. She threw her arms around him and sobbed freely into his t-shirt. "Is he... gonna be okay?" Sess heard her ask, her voice a bit muffled by his shirt.  
  
"I... dont know Rin... I hope so..."  
  
"Sess... bring your Jeep around... please... Ja-chan needs help..." Bankotsu said, trying to compose himself.  
  
"Okay... I'll be right back. Rin, stay with them, okay?" Sesshoumaru said, holding her at arm's length and looking into her tear-filled eyes. He had seen Hiten and Manten head back towards the school, and didnt want her with him just in case he met up with the bastards again.  
  
Rin nodded and sniffled, sitting down on the hard concrete by Bankotsu and Jakotsu. Sesshoumaru ran back to school at full speed to get his Jeep.  
  
Letting out another soft sob, Rin leaned forward and gently wiped a bit of the blood of Jakotsu's cheek with her sleeve, not caring that the once-light blue shirt was now stained and probably ruined.  
  
"Jakotsu..." Bankotsu heard her whisper. They sat in silence a few minutes, until Sess pulled up in the Jeep.  
  
A terrible event had taken place, but one couldnt deny that it had drawn them closer. Rin felt now that she, Jakotsu, and Bankotsu had an unbreakable friendship. And she had also grown closer to Sesshoumaru in a way...  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]Amazing how my writing goes from happy and light-hearted, to dark and sadistic, to kinda poetic. Oo; I guess its partly the music I'm listening to at the time... Cuz I was listening to Slipknot during this chapter, and if you've heard Slipknot, you know how dark and violent their songs are... But gods I love that band...  
  
Anyway, I WILL DO ADVERTISING! As long as the fic is a Sess/Rin or a no pairings fic about Sess... or rin...  
  
Fics You Should Check Out If You Havent Already:   
  
~~ The Space Between Stars - by Lanenkar - http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1388360 - I havent actually read this myself, cant find the time...  
  
~~ Captive Soul - by Rasberries - I LOVE THIS! Its probably the best Sess/Rin slave fic you'll ever read!  
  
~~ Bittersweetness - by Liz.Q - ITS SO GOOD DAMN IT! oo;;; Seriously though, I love this fic...  
  
~~ Whats Love, Sesshoumaru-sama? AND Tenseiga, Sword of Life - by Naoko2 - BOTH ARE SO GOOD! the first is uber-kawii and the second is sooo well written with an original plot and everything!  
  
Okay, enough of that... R&R please![/AN] 


	17. Chapter 17

[AN]Would have updated sooner, but I just didnt feel like it... I'm not going to make excuses... Go ahead and kill me if you want, or you can just take out your anger on the Kagura dart boards! XD *points to Kagura, who's strapped to a bloody piece of wood in the middle of a bullseye, then to a box of throwing knives* *Trowa from gundam wing comes in and starts throwing knives at Kagura*  
  
Mage: Oo; what are YOU doing here?  
  
Trowa: *shrugs* *holds up a sign that says "The Fruitcake Sent Me"*  
  
Mage: Oohhhh... Ashura's being lazy again. Oo;  
  
Trowa: *nods*  
  
Mage: We'd better get to review responses now...  
  
Trowa: *nodnod*  
  
~~Review Responses~~  
  
mYjesTikgiRl: Well you're enthusiastic XD Heres the update...  
  
ciralpup: Yay! Another joins the ranks of the Anti-Sess/Kag Army! XD Tro, add 'em to the list! (Trowa: *writes*) Anyway, glad you like my story!  
  
evil squeede: Aww... *patpats* At least I'm getting a reaction though ^^; That makes an author feel like he/she did his/her job...  
  
Dana Daidouji: Arigatou! And you'll see what happens...  
  
pensquared: eheh... ^^ Wanna take a shot at the kagura-dart board? *hands you throwing knives* Meep... Nu, Jaky-sama cant die Oo; if i let him die then my reviewers would all mob against me... o.o; not to mention bankotsu would want revenge o.o;  
  
Sesshomaru13: ^^; arigatou...  
  
milacute04: arigatou! ^_^  
  
Wakadori Ramen: Yes, sadsad... ^_^ Mwaha, Ilpalazzo is watching you! XD I love Excel Saga and I've only seen the first 5 eps... *mutters about stupid video rental places having 1 but not the rest of the discs*  
  
Dragon Of Sea: Everyone seems to like the way I write Jakotsu and I dont really know why... Oo; *shrug* Reviewer that doesnt go away? COOLIES! =D  
  
rYNNIE: You'll find out what happened to Kikyo in good time... No jaky-sama wont die... and I didnt add in him getting his armor? Oo; DAMN! --; *mutters about forgetfulness and not writing anymore chapters at 3 am...*  
  
Sakie: Heres the update!  
  
Naoko2: .....o.o;;; brutal... *hands throwing knives* want a go at her? *points to kagura strapped to the bloody board* XD Yes I'm cruel... Gomen ne if i deprive you of sleep because of the suspense e.e;;; Anyway, youre welcome! I hope the next chapter of Tenseiga, Sword of Life is out soon...  
  
LewsTherinInsanity: Abrogate! XD that sounds funny... I'm going to stick with my psychosomatic XD i love that word...  
  
Mega Buu: *blushes* Me? A professional writer? Maybe... Wow, someone actually likes my drawings XD thanks! No, Kikyo's rival was Tsubaki, the kuro-miko. I dont think Kikyo and Nazuna have ever met... Yes, your review made me feel a lot better! Thank you!  
  
Shinnyu Kudzu: ;_; I didnt wanna hurt himmmm! but I needed conflict... and action... I'm trying to keep this from being boring... Dun worry, he'll be okay! Heh, really? I guess I'll have to try to inspire you then ^^ I really do love your artwork.  
  
Liz.Q: He'll be okay o.o;; Anyway, youre welcome! OH COOKIE! *eats* ^_^ arigatouuuu!  
  
Queenizzay: yes, poor jaky-sama... Want a go at Kagura? XD *hands throwing knives* I dont think I'll have any of them getting their asses kicked, not just yet anyway...  
  
Neko02: he'll be okay o.o;;;  
  
Ninetales122: Mr. Takeda? Oo;;; He aint in this no more...  
  
Cookie6: yes, I bet everyone would like to see that XD *imagines Kagura bitchslapping rin, then rin kicking her in the stomach and beating her into the ground* ahhh such pleasant mental images...  
  
CharmedAngel: Heres the next chapter, and dont worry, I would never KILL off a character (unless it was kagura, kikyo or naraku...) ; mwa...  
  
Ookami Spirit Hishana: o.o;;; eep... i wouldnt permanently hurt jakotsu! hey dont kill hiten, i need him *snatches hiten from the jaws of death and stuffs him into a closet Oo* yes, i know... i'm evil... Oo;  
  
Smiley-chan: haiiiii... arigatou for the review  
  
hush: EEK! *ducks fork and ravioli* sowwyyyyyy!  
  
~~End Review Responses~~  
  
===============================================  
  
Rin sighed, looking over Jakotsu's sleeping form. They had taken him to a hospital, where his injuries were treated, then he was allowed to leave. Sesshoumaru had driven him to the Higurashi's, by Bankotsu's request.  
  
Bankotsu had said that Jakotsu's parents were away on a business trip, he didnt want his own parents to ask questions, and he didnt want Jakotsu to be alone. Rin had spoke up and said Jakotsu could stay at her place for a couple days.  
  
Bankotsu had thanked her for five minutes straight, and the group had all crowded into the Higurashi's living room.  
  
Jakotsu was now asleep, laying on the couch. Bankotsu had covered him with a blanket lovingly, and was now sitting on the floor beside his lover.  
  
Sesshoumaru was sitting in the armchair, sighing once in a while.  
  
"Those Thunder Brothers are such jerks!" Rin muttered, for the millionth time that day.  
  
"I know, Rin..." Sess reached out, grabbing her waist and gently pulling her into his lap. She nuzzled against him, burying her face in the nape of his neck.  
  
Bankotsu sighed, softly stroking Jakotsu's hair. "My Ja-chan... I wont let anyone hurt you ever again..."  
  
They sat in silence for an hour or so, just being there with their friends and loved ones, until Mrs. Higurashi came home.  
  
She walked through the door, bags of groceries in hand and blinked at the teenagers in her living room.  
  
"Rin-chan, Sesshoumaru, what are you two doing here? School isnt out yet, is it?" She asked, confused. "And who are your friends?"  
  
Rin stood and took one of the bags from her mother. "Mama, an awful thing happened at lunch today... This is Bankotsu, and the one lying on the couch is Jakotsu... Some guys beat Jakotsu up, and we came here instead of going back to school..."  
  
"Oh my..." Mrs. Higurashi stepped into the kitchen and began putting up the groceries, trying to take in all this information.  
  
"Is it okay if Jakotsu stays here a couple days? Until he's feeling better? Bankotsu cant stay with him the whole time, and he doesnt want him to be alone..."  
  
"Of course Rin-chan..."  
  
"Thank you Mama..." After helping her mother put up the groceries, she went back into the living room and made herself comfortable in Sesshoumaru's lap again.  
  
Later, when Kagome and Souta came home, the situation was explained to them and Sesshoumaru stood from the chair he was sitting in.  
  
"I'd better get home for a while... Funbari Hill, at 6 Rin..."  
  
"Hai... I havent forgotten..."  
  
"Well, seeya then."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
So Sesshoumaru walked out the door and drove home to get ready for tonight.   
  
He threw off his shoes as he reached his bedroom. It seemed kind of weird to express one's love for a girl on the day one's best friend was beaten up, but Rin had to know and he felt she had to know as soon as possible. And so, preperations for that night were made.  
  
~*~  
  
It was 5:45 when Sesshoumaru's white Jeep pulled up at the foot of Funbari Hill. He got out, the cool October breeze twisting and intertwining strands of his silvery hair, which had been left loose. He wore a dark, long sleeved shirt and khaki jeans and was carrying a bouquet of red and white roses.  
  
"Good, I'm early..." He said softly to himself, taking the paved path up to the top of the hill and sitting down on one of the carved marble benches.  
  
He glanced up at the sky. Gray clouds were beginning to gather. Hopefully he and Rin would be home and cuddling on the couch before it began to rain though.  
  
"Hi there." A female voice said softly from behind him.  
  
"Hey Ri--" He stopped as he got a good look at the girl that moved to sit beside him. This wasnt Rin. He didnt know who this was!  
  
She had dark hair, pulled back into a low ponytail and she wore a very low-cut red tanktop and white mini-skirt.  
  
"Um... hi... I dont... believe we've met?" Golden eyes blinked in confusion. The girl giggled a little.  
  
"I'm Nazuna Oyamada. And you're Sesshoumaru Iizuki, correct?" She asked, moving a little closer to him that he would have liked.  
  
"Ah... yeah..."  
  
"I sit behind you in civics."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"So who are those for?" She moved closer, until her thigh was pressed against his, and motioned towards the roses he held in his hand.  
  
"Someone special... I'm meeting her here..." He answered, hoping she'd take the hint and leave.  
  
"Oh, I see..." She still didnt move. He scooted away, to the edge of the bench, but Nazuna followed, pressing herself against him again.  
  
"She'll... be here any minute..." 'LEAVE LEAVE LEAVE!' He screamed mentally.  
  
Nazuna glanced around, mentally wishing Sesshoumaru's girlfriend would hurry up and get here so she could get this overwith. She didnt have to wait long though.  
  
Rin arrived at Funbari Hill about 5 minutes before 6. 'Good, I'm not late...' She thought as she brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. Bankotsu had said Sesshoumaru had something extra special to tell her, so she had taken great care in dressing. She had picked out a modest white shirt and knee-length jean skirt, leaving her hair down and she had applied little makeup. Her jacket was draped over her shoulders, shielding her against the cold.  
  
She started up the paved pathway, and gasped slightly at what she saw. There was Sesshoumaru, sitting with another girl pressed up against him.  
  
Nazuna spotted Rin before Sesshoumaru did, and smirked a bit. She leaned in and forcefully captured Sesshoumaru's lips in a fierce kiss, holding his head as he struggled to get away.  
  
'THE HELL?!' Sess shoved Nazuna away from him, only to see Rin standing there in shock, almost in tears.  
  
"IS THIS WHAT YOU HAD TO TELL ME?!" His love screamed furiously. "THAT ITS OVER?!"  
  
His eyes widened and he stood quickly. "Rin, I--"  
  
"No, Sesshoumaru. Dont say anything. I get it. If you didnt want to be with me, you could have just said something... Letting me see you with another girl like that... You're such a... such a... a JERK!!!"  
  
Rin turned and ran, tears streaming down her cheeks. She was glad she hadnt worn any mascara; the black substance would have burned her eyes. 'How could he have done this to me?... Why did he have to go and break my heart?...'  
  
Sesshoumaru started to go after her, but slowed to a stop, arm outstretched. "Rin... I wasnt... I didnt...." It was too late though. She was already out of hearing range.  
  
He could feel his heart shattering into a thousand pieces. The bouquet fell from his hand and onto the ground, petals scattering over the dirt. "Rin..." Things werent supposed to be like this. This shouldnt have happened. He should have been embracing her right about now... Whispering in her ear how much he loved her...  
  
"THIS WASNT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!!" He shouted angrily to the sky. He felt tears stinging his eyes. "Things werent supposed to be like this..."   
  
Sess felt a droplet of water hit his cheek. Tears? No... Rain... Another drop... And another... The light sprinkle turned into freezing sheets of water, drenching the teenager.  
  
He let his tears flow, knowing that no one would ever know... The rain would wash away his tears... Briefly, he thanked the Gods for this stormy weather...  
  
Sesshoumaru sank to his knees in the mud, letting the rain soak him through to the bone. He let the icyness of the furiously falling droplets numb the impending pain of loss.  
  
"Thats right..." He laughed dryly. "Wash away my pain... Wash away my longing... Thats it... Rain on me..."  
  
By now, his khakis were coated in thick mud; his wet shirt clung to his freezing skin. His bangs stuck to his forehead, got into his eyes. But he didnt care...  
  
Sesshoumaru kneeled there in the mud through the rest of the short storm, crying freely... Crying for what he lost... Crying for... his Rin...  
  
~*~  
  
Rin stormed home through the freezing rain, tears streaming openly down her pale cheeks. Why? Why did he do this? Wasnt she... good enough for him?...  
  
She reached her house and opened the door, stepping onto the tile inside, letting the rainwater puddle at her feet. She let out another choking sob, shoulders shaking.  
  
"Rin?" Bankotsu stepped out of the living room, worry evident on his face. "Whats wrong? You're soaked..." He immediately went to the downstairs bathroom, withdrew a towel from a cabinet and took it out to his friend.  
  
"How'd things with Sess go?" Rin glared as she toweled her hair dry.   
  
"Dont mention that bastard's name..."  
  
Bankotsu frowned in confusion as she dried her face, wrapped the towel around her shoulders and sat at the kitchen table.  
  
"I take it... things didnt go so well?"  
  
Rin spoke with a voice full of hate and anger... a voice full of spite... a voice that was... so unlike Rin... "Oh, no, the breakup went PERFECTLY!"  
  
"Breakup?" Bankotsu was even more confused now. Jakotsu had told him about his and Sesshoumaru's phone call last night. Why did Sess break up with the girl he loved?  
  
"Of course the insensitive jerk couldnt have just TOLD me, noooo... He had to make me see him with another girl..."  
  
"Another girl?!"  
  
"Yeah..." Rin laughed dryly. "A real whore, judging by her clothes. If he just wants sex, I'm glad we broke up before he tried that with me..."  
  
"So you arent going to miss him?"  
  
Her voice softened, and took on a sad tone. "No... not at all..."  
  
Bankotsu had seen her dry the rainwater off her face, so why was it wet again? She was... crying...  
  
"I'm not... not going to miss that bastard... Not at all..." She held back a sob and went upstairs to her room, wanting to be alone.  
  
Rin fell onto her bed, not bothering to change out of her wet clothes, and cried. "Hes gone... He really left me..."  
  
~*~  
  
Rin cried, alone in her bedroom for hours, before she heard a soft knock.  
  
"Rin? Can I come in?" The soft voice of her older sister asked, opening the door a crack.  
  
"I dont care..."  
  
Kagome entered the room, and Rin felt the mattress sink as she sat on the edge of the bed beside her little sister. Rin was silent, two stiff trails prominent on her pale cheeks. She wouldnt cry anymore... Not for that jerk...  
  
"You gonna be okay?..."  
  
...Or so she thought. Those four words broke the dam. Rin flung herself at Kagome, erupting into fresh tears.  
  
"He left me Kagome! I fell in love with him and he left me!" She wailed, feeling the broken shards of her heart shatter into even tinier bits. Kagome pulled her into a sisterly hug, speaking comforting words. But Rin found no comfort in her sister. She knew she would never find comfort again.  
  
But Rin would never allow herself to have her heart broken again. She wouldnt get close to anyone. It'd be better that way, she told herself, as she cried in Kagome's arms.  
  
"Its gonna be okay Rin... There are always other guys out there ya know... I'll find you a kind, sensitive guy who wont break your heart, okay?"  
  
"I dont need men... I dont want another boyfriend... I'll spend my life alone..."  
  
"Rin... You dont mean that..." Kagome felt sorrow for her younger sister. Rin had had her heart broken so badly... 'I'll kill that Sesshoumaru... I'll kill him for hurting her like this... I always knew he was a jerk!'  
  
"Yes I do mean it Kagome..."  
  
"You should get some sleep Rin... Try to forget about that insensitive jerk..."  
  
Rin nodded once and sniffled, wiping the moisture from her cheeks. "Kay... Night Kagome..."  
  
Kagome stood and started for the door. "Night Rin..."  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Thanks..."  
  
"Thats what big sisters are for..." Kagome smiled a bit as she flipped off the light and shut Rin's bedroom door, leaving her alone.  
  
Rin tried to sleep... but sleep didnt come easy. The image of Sesshoumaru, the man she had loved so deeply, with Nazuna haunted her dreams, wouldnt leave her mind... Rin found no peace that night, only a deeper sense of loss.  
  
~*~  
  
After the rain stopped, a dripping, muddy Sesshoumaru got into his Jeep, ignoring the fact that he was getting mud all over the seat, and drove home, depressed.  
  
He trudged inside, dripping all over the carpet, and went up to the bathroom, desperately in need of a hot shower to help sooth him. He undressed, dropping the wet and muddy articles of clothing into the hamper and turned on the tap, getting into the shower. ((*Ashura blindfolds Mage and Mage begins yelling obsceneties...* Ashura: Hentai... --))  
  
The hot water beat down on him, cleansing his skin and hair. But it couldnt wash away his regrets... his pain and loss... It couldnt wash away his memories of Rin...  
  
He knew he should be angry, at Nazuna for doing what she did, at Rin for even THINKING he'd cheat on her... But he wasnt angry... He was just... numb. He couldnt feel anything anymore, nothing but loss and depression...  
  
"I miss her already..." He sighed, the tears threatening to flow again. "I loved her so much, and I didnt even get a chance to tell her... Why did this have to happen?! Why?!"  
  
Taking a long, shuddering breath, he turned off the tap and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist. ((*Ashura unblindfolds Mage* Mage: awww! Damn you ashy!))  
  
"I'll get over her..." He told himself firmly, looking into the mirror. "I will. I have no room in my life for women anyway."  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]You're all gonna hate me for this ;_; I'm sorryyyyyyyy! *hides out in bomb shelter* they wont be apart for long! I SWEAR! o.o;;;  
  
Anyway, on to other matters... Shinnyu Kudzu drew the CUTEST ja/ban picture for me! =D If you all want to see it (which you should! ITS SO CUTE!) the url is: http://www.artwanted.com/imageview.cfm?id=50051 Once again, THANK YOU!!!  
  
Recommended Reading:   
  
~~Love Me For Who I Am - by milacute04 - Its good so far! A very original and interesting plot.  
  
~~Wild Wind - by Shinnyu Kudzu - Not a Sess/Rin, but its very very good! Its a Ginta/Hakkaku, which is original in itself! And it got me liking the pairing!  
  
~~Because - by Aurora chan - I really like this one, its original, and kinda angsty at times and just really really neato! =D  
  
~~Pasteries - by Arthia Maxwell - Also original, an AU. ^^; Rin as a cook, so neat! =D I really like this one too...  
  
Okay, if you have any fics you would recommend, let me know and I'll put them up here ^^ Ja for now... 


	18. Chapter 18

[AN]Mage: *hiding in bomb shelter from angry reviewers*  
  
Ashura and Trowa: *shake heads* *wearing jackets that say "bodyguard" on the back*  
  
Ashura: I thought she was fearless...  
  
Trowa: no, actually she's afraid of lots of things... *ticks off on fingers* angry reviewers, angry bishounen, turtles, spiders, rodents of all sorts, britney spears, boy bands...  
  
Ashura: Oo; I thought you didnt talk...  
  
Trowa: .....  
  
Ashura: .....  
  
Trowa: .....  
  
Ashura: .....MAGE!!! RESPONSES!!! NOW!!! We're not gettin' anywhere with this authors note!  
  
Mage: Haiiiii...  
  
~~Review Responses~~  
  
Sakie: Well, i got a response... thats good... Oo; it means it was half-way well written... *giggles* yeah, Bankotsu's going to take all poor jaky-samas hair off... I bet Bankotsu would love Jakotsu even if he looked like Onigumo Oo; scary thought, ne?  
  
ash-chan: I know I'm mean to my poor cast... ^^ Hey, your name is Ashura's nickname Oo; weird...  
  
Tigerose08: o.o;;; nono hate magey... magey does what magey has to do! o.o;;; that was essential to their developing relationship... Yes, Mage likes the Ja/Ban pic too... ^_^ Mage is very very grateful to the artist... I updated! O.O No hurt Mage!  
  
CharmedAngel: *sigh* Dont we all wish we had a guy like Sess-chan... Heh, hurt Nazuna all ya want ^^; I dont need her anymore...  
  
Cookie6: They feel betrayed and confused... So they dont know what they think Oo; I couldnt let them be apart for long, so yeah, they WILL get back together eventually...  
  
Ninetales122: in good time... in good time...  
  
Mega Buu: Arigatou for understanding! *.* Love from Mage... I told him ^^ He was happy... Anyway, I read! Twas good, though I dont watch DBZ... I would never call you an ass! *goes teary eyed and glomps* You're my nicest reviewer!  
  
Shinnyu Kudzu: Whipped cream scene? HONTO?! *eyes light up* Oohhh I cant wait to see itttt! (Ashura: *glomped* Oo;;; Well this is a first... Whipped cream scene? ^_^ YAY! *glomps back*) {Trowa: *shakes head*} Ginta drawing? OHHH! I wanna see that one too! =D Meep Oo; You can help kill Kagura after the fics over XD And yes, Tro let her get away, didnt you? {Trowa: .....///_- *muttering about baka Mage*} Anyway, best of luck in your hunt! XD  
  
InuBabyGirl: Arigatou! updating...  
  
Naoko: v.v Mage is cruel... Mage had to do it though... Its essential to their developing relationship... Updating o.o; Dont kill me...  
  
LewsTherinInsanity: Tonzura koite! XD I love that phrase... (Ashura: *holds up a sign that says "Tonzura koite = And we get the hell out") {Trowa: *holds up another sign that says "As used in the Excel Saga theme song"*} (Ashura: no one really NEEDED to know that Tro Oo;) {Trowa: *holds up a sign that says "I just like the signs!" ///_^}  
  
Ookami Spirit Hishana: Dude Oo; People are after nazuna's blood XD heh... *tries to decipher last sentence too*   
  
darkmoo0829: Arigatou! ^^; I thought it was clever of me too to give her reasons... (Ashura: *rolls eyes*) {Trowa: *same*} ; Dont say anything you two... Anyway, yeah I'll start giving the ID #s.  
  
serpentilewitch: ^^; Mage is glad you liked my parody... Dude, Sess/Sango is like... WRONG... I have a fan? TIGHT! =D  
  
ciralpup: gomen ne ^^ Heres the next chap. And I think that should be obvious... I cant stand any Sess/ anyone but rin and vice versa pairings XD  
  
ladyofthedragons1: I know... Mage is mean... Mage will fix though ^^  
  
mYjesTikgiRl: he's... um... confused... yeah, confused ^^ he'll do something soon though...  
  
milacute04: Yes, sad... blame the music! *points to ayumi hamasaki's no more words* sad song = sad writing... Hehe, yes... *Mage and Ashura both grin pervertedly and say at the same time: Sessy in showerrrrrr...* Anyway, youre welcome!  
  
dangerous-beans: EEK! *hides behind Ashura and Trowa* NOT THE RODENTS! O.O I promise you a happy ending! NOT THE FLUFFY PINK BUNNIE BOMB! O.O NUUUUU! *is afraid of pink XD*  
  
Dragon Of Sea: yep, she was. Oo; meepmeep... I told you jaky-sama would be fine ^^  
  
Kurymi: yes, happy ending to come... WOO! ANTI-SESS/KAG AUTHORESSES ALL THE WAY! =D  
  
Wakadori Ramen: Yessss, Rins a fool XD [Sess glares from the doorway] I mean... um... Shes the smartest bestest character in the world other than the great Lord Flu-AHEM Sesshoumaru? Eheh... [Sess nods] Anyway, yes I'll advertise for you! =D  
  
Sour Schuyler: Arigatou! ^^ and in response to your review for chapter 6... his name actually IS spelled Juuromaru and not Jeromaru... Juromaru in the dub, Juuromaru in the Jap...  
  
Smiley-chan: Yes, I yell at the TV/Comp screen too... More than most people actually... Oo; Have you ever seen House of 1000 Corpses? I yelled at the clown man that tells you to choose an option off the menu... ; No one talks to Mage like dat. ; Yes, I think we all loath kagura XD Actually, I havent gotten TOO many death threats... Enough to scare me senseless though o.o;;; *goes back to hiding place*  
  
hush: sadly, she doesnt get killed... yet... Oo; whats wrong with khakis? other than theyre not black... (Ashura: Oo;) {Trowa: goths... *shakes head*}  
  
duckknight: NO HURT MAGE! O.O *hides in Trowa's shirt* oohhhh do you work out Tro? ^^ {Trowa: .....///.-} Anyway, Mage hopes this chapter is satisfactory! o.o;;; Much fluff!  
  
===============================================  
  
Saturday, October 31st, came slowly. Sesshoumaru had gone about his life as usual; as he had before he met Rin. Though the pain of not being with her still gnawed incessantly at his heart every moment of every day, he ignored it... or tried to, anyway.  
  
Rin had been really quiet since Wednesday, usually hanging out with Jakotsu and Bankotsu, discussing what songs they should play at the dance and such. Occasionally, she'd turn, about to ask Sesshoumaru a question, but he was never there... She knew he'd never be there again.  
  
Rin sat in the living room early that morning with Jakotsu, who was feeling much better, and Souta, watching Shaman King on the Foxbox. Bankotsu had driven out of town to get a broken amp fixed and would be back by lunch.  
  
"You are still going to the dance tonight Rin, right?..." Jakotsu asked, setting down his glass of orange juice.  
  
"Yeah, I promised didnt I?"  
  
"But... He'll be there... And I thought you never wanted to see him again..." 'He' was Sesshoumaru of course. They had stopped using his name, because whenever his name was mentioned, Rin would get a sad look in her eyes and would go silent.  
  
"I'll just... avoid him I guess..." She stared down at her toast, sighing.  
  
"Hey Rin... are you sure he was actually WITH that girl?" Jakotsu knew something was up. Sess had told him that he loved Rin, so why would he be with a different girl?  
  
"Well she kissed him..."  
  
"But did he kiss back?"  
  
"I... I dont know... I couldnt tell..." Rin felt tears beginning to prick at her eyes. Had she made a mistake?  
  
"Maybe you should get the whole story from him..." Jakotsu said gently, setting a friendly hand on her shoulder.  
  
"I cant talk to him! Not after how I acted..."  
  
"You can Rin... I'll come with you if you want..."  
  
"No, Jakotsu! You dont understand! I CANT talk to him! He wouldnt want me back anyway..." A tear trailed its way down the smooth skin of her cheek.  
  
"Rin-chan... He was in love with you... I'm sure he would want you back..."  
  
Rin's honey-brown eyes widened, and her head shot up, glancing wildly at Jakotsu. "He... he... he LOVED me?..." Jakotsu nodded. That just got Rin crying harder.  
  
"I loved him too..."  
  
Jakotsu pulled her into a friendly, almost sibling-like hug. "Its okay Rin... I'll help you talk to him, tonight, at the dance, okay?..."  
  
"No... I blew it... I jumped to conclusions... He'll never take me back..."  
  
"I'm sure he will Rin, dont cry..."  
  
"I dont deserve to be taken back..."  
  
"Rin..." Jakotsu sighed. "You and Sess are in love... You should be together... Otherwise, you'll never feel any better. I know I couldnt bear to not be with Bankotsu..."  
  
"You... think he still loves me?..."  
  
"I know so... and tonight, I'm going to help you talk to him, okay?"  
  
"Okay..." She smiled, ever so slightly. "Thank you so much Jakotsu..."  
  
"Any time Rin-chan." He smiled back, and the two went back to watching tv.  
  
~*~  
  
Hours passed. Bankotsu returned a little after 12. The three had hung out and done things until around 6, when Rin and Jakotsu went upstairs to get their costumes and do each other's makeup.  
  
Rin had dressed and was sitting in her bedroom, looking over her makeup and the makeup Jakotsu had brought. Said guy entered the room, having just finished dressing.  
  
He was wearing the short kimono he had bought at the costume shop, which showed off his legs.  
  
"That kimono looks good on you." Rin said, smiling.  
  
"Thanks Rin-chan... You look pretty good yourself."  
  
He wasnt lying. The fancy, white-silk kimono did look good on Rin. She looked like an extraordinary fuedal age Lady, dressed up like that.  
  
"Sit down and I'll do your hair." Jakotsu sat on the edge of the bed; Rin climbed up behind him and began to twist his dark hair up onto his head in a fancy style and it held up with a blueish clip.  
  
Jakotsu looked into the mirror and grinned. "Arigatou! It looks nice Rin-chan!"  
  
"Now for your makeup." Rin giggled. She was having quite a bit of fun with this. It wasnt often one got to do a GUY's hair and makeup.  
  
She put a light eyeshadow on his eyelids and applied a crimson lipstick to his lips; vertical green stripes were painted under his eyes, completing the outfit.  
  
"Perfect." Rin stepped back to admire her work.  
  
"Now for you Rin!" Jakotsu sat her down on the bed and did her hair up in a traditional fashion, with a white, bone comb that had tiny roses carved into it. He put light makeup on her; a bit of silvery eyeshadow, some pale pink lipstick, and a tiny bit of blush.  
  
"Looks like we're ready for the ball, ne Cinderella?" Rin giggled. She had completely forgotten about what she would have to do later.  
  
"Looks like. Lets go see if my Prince Charming is ready yet." Jakotsu laughed out, taking her arm and walking downstairs with her.  
  
Bankotsu stood slowly from his seat on the couch as his friend and boyfriend walked down the stairs. 'They both look beautiful... Especially my Ja-chan...'  
  
"Wow, you two look great." He grinned.  
  
"You dont look so bad yourself Ban-kun!" Jakotsu beamed at his boyfriend, who was dressed in the haori/hakama and armor he had picked out. A dark purple cross shape had been painted on his forehead, but that was it for makeup.  
  
"So, shall we go?" Bankotsu held out an arm to Jakotsu, and his other to Rin. Jakotsu took his left, and Rin took his right. "Inuyasha and Kagome are already in the van."  
  
He walked his date and his best friend out to the waiting van and everyone got in; soon the 5 were on their way to the Halloween dance.  
  
~*~  
  
When they got to the highschool gym, which was decorated with black and orange crepe paper and Halloween decorations, Bankotsu escorted Jakotsu and Rin inside. Inuyasha and Kagome went off to dance; the DJ was playing some slowish song.  
  
Rin could see the rest of the Shichinin-tai up on stage, setting up their instruments and getting ready for the first song. She guessed that Jakotsu and Bankotsu would want to dance before having to get up and play, so she looked around for something to distract herself.  
  
"Oh, theres Hojo, I'm gonna go talk to him. Seeya later guys!" She ran off through the crowd, finding the brown-haired nice guy by the punch bowl, all alone.  
  
"Ah, hi Hojo..."  
  
He perked up immediately at hearing her voice. "Hi Rin!" He glanced at her appreciatively. "Wow, you look beautiful!"  
  
"Thanks..." She blushed a bit. Hojo was always so nice.  
  
"Do you wanna dance with me?..." He asked hesitantly, glancing down at the gym floor and blushing.  
  
"Sure." He looked up and smiled.  
  
"Okay!" Hojo lead her onto the dance floor as the DJ started a second song.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru entered the gym, garments flowing around him. "Damn clown pants..." He muttered. He wasnt in a very good mood right now, seeing as he had been tricked into coming by Jakotsu, who insisted that he come to see the Shichinin-tai play.  
  
He staked out a spot against the wall, towards the corner. Golden eyes scanned over the dance floor. He could see Jakotsu dancing with Bankotsu, Inuyasha with Kagome, Sango with Miroku, Kouga with Ayame.  
  
Seeing the couples dancing, he felt a pang of loneliness. He should have been out there, dancing with Rin... His Rin... She should have been his by now... But she wasnt...  
  
A flash of white silk caught his eye. Rin. He saw a boy with brown hair in a dorky pirate costume dancing with her happily.  
  
Sess felt a growl rise up in his throat. How dare that guy! And how could she just forget all about HIM so fast?!  
  
'If she's going to dance with that freak show, I might as well dance with someone else too... Its not like we're together anymore...' He mentally reassured himself, looking around the gym for a single female he could dance with.  
  
'Hm... Dolphin? No, she talks to imaginary fish... Too weird... Jade, Cloey? No, they scare me...' He shivered outwardly. 'Anzu? Hell no! Hmm... Kagura? Not after all she's done to Jakotsu and Bankotsu... I think that Pheonix girl is single... She IS kinda scary though...'  
  
Golden eyes scanned the dance floor and settled on a purple-haired girl in a Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon costume, who was dancing with a meanish-looking white-haired guy in an Egyptian outfit.  
  
'So much for Pheonix... Shes with Bakura...' Then he saw a girl in a white angel costume leaning against the wall. She wasnt like the other girls at this school... She looked... normal. Oo;  
  
'I'm only dancing with her to make Rin jealous... Yeah...' He sighed and walked over to the angel person. "Hey."  
  
"Hi!"  
  
"So... what's your name?"  
  
"Rai. Youre Sesshoumaru Iizuki right?"  
  
"Yeah, how'd you know?"  
  
"Everyone knows you." She shrugged, then adjusted the gold-painted halo above her head.  
  
"So... wanna dance?" He asked, shrugging also.  
  
"Sure, why not."  
  
Sess lead Rai out onto the dance floor and the two began dancing as the DJ changed songs to a faster one. He kept glancing over at Rin, who was still dancing with Hojo, to see if she was looking his way.  
  
After that song ended, he heard Rai chuckle. "Go ask her to dance."  
  
"Huh? Wha?"  
  
"That girl, Rin, you kept looking over at her. Go on!"  
  
"What about you though? It... wouldnt be very nice of me to just... leave you here like this..."   
  
"Dont worry about me. I was gonna go find Hiei anyway. Or maybe Val... Or Vegeta..." Rai smiled and pushed Sess in Rin and Hojo's direction, then went off to find her pointy haired, midgit friend Hiei.  
  
The DJ started a slow song, and Sesshoumaru approached Rin and Hojo. He fairly shoved Hojo away from Rin and into a table, then took over dancing with her.  
  
"Hey Rin..."  
  
"Hi..." She wouldnt look up at him... In fact, she was looking everywhere but at him. Sighing, Sesshoumaru led her out of the gym and into the parking lot.  
  
"Rin..."  
  
"What?..." She now focused on the concrete under her feet instead of the male in front of her.  
  
"Look at me." He gently raised her chin so her eyes met his. "Now let me explain. I wasnt with Nazuna that day. I dont know why she was there and I dont know why she kissed me."  
  
Sesshoumaru felt his heart twist inside his chest. Tears were forming in Rin's eyes, making them shine with color.  
  
"Rin... I had asked you to meet me in the park because there was something I wanted... no, needed... to tell you... Rin Higurashi, I love you." He said softly, hoping to whatever god was up there that she wouldnt reject him.  
  
"Sesshoumaru..." A single tear made its way down her cheek. 'He does love me... After how I acted, after how I jumped to conclusions... He loves me...' "Sesshoumaru Iizuki, I love you too..."  
  
Rin threw her arms around him, burying her face in the white and red haori he wore. "I love you so much it hurts..."  
  
Sesshoumaru felt his spirits rise and overwhelming joy took over his mind. He held her close to him, smiling, never wanting this moment to end. He loved Rin, Rin loved him. Everything was okay again. No, everything was better than okay.  
  
He had his Rin. As long as he had her, nothing could ever go wrong again.  
  
Sesshoumaru leaned in until his face was but inches from Rin's. He could hear her pulse racing and her breath quickened. Closing the distance, their lips touched, and for the first time, Sesshoumaru tasted the sweetness of his Rin. Seconds passed, though it felt like an eternity, and he held her close once more.  
  
Rin didnt know how long she stood there in Sesshoumaru's arms as he whispered sweet, loving words to her. She didnt care. She was loving being alone with him.  
  
"We should probably go back in now Rin... The Shichinin-tai should be playing their first song of the night soon..." He said, sighing a bit. He wanted to stay out here, but they had promised to watch the band perform.  
  
"Yeah..." So hand in hand, the two went back into the gym, looking almost exactly like a regal youkai Lord and his Lady.  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]THERE! NOW YOU CANT KILL MAGE! =D LOTS OF FLUFF TO MAKE UP FOR THE SADNESS! *dances to the Excel Saga theme* wheee!  
  
Ashura: *to Trowa* Remind me again how we got stuck with this nutcase?  
  
Trowa: *shrugs*  
  
Mage: *screams* My batteries ran out! ;_; *hugs CD player* music go byebye...  
  
Trowa: thank god...  
  
Ashura: 'bout time...  
  
Mage: meanies ;  
  
Recommended Reading:   
  
~~Water and Blood - by Wakadori Ramen - Story ID: 1506820 - So good! No pairings, but the plot's original and stuff! 5 stars! =D  
  
~~The Need - by Avalonian Witch - Story ID - 1377073 - Its really funny and cute and well written! =D One of my faves.  
  
And since I'm running out of stories...  
  
~~My Sess/Rin one-shots! Lullabye, Dearest, Illnesses, Taiyoukai and Annoying songs - Oh my!, and Memories - First 3 can be found by clicking on my profile, but Memories is on the account Forbidden Memories Group, story id: 1406802. 


	19. Chapter 19

As Sesshoumaru and Rin made their way through the crowd and up towards the stage, a blue-haired girl stepped up to the mic. "And now, please welcome The Shichinin-Tai!" She shouted enthusiastically as the curtains raised, revealing the band standing ready.  
As Juri1 left the stage, Jakotsu stepped up to the mic and adjusted it to his height. The band started the music and Jakotsu closed his eyes, waiting for his cue. Then it came, and his voice flooded the gym.  
Jakotsu's voice faded out, but the rest of the band continued to play for a minute or so, and then stopped. Sess and Rin clapped enthusiastically, as did many others. Obviously the Shichinin-tai was a hit.  
Jakotsu bowed low, and as he did he spotted Sesshoumaru standing with his arm around Rin's shoulders. He grinned; so the two were back together again. That was good at least.  
The Shichinin-tai began their next song and couples began dancing with each other once again.  
Rin and Sesshoumaru were thoroughly enjoying the slowish song that played, dancing in each other's arms. About half-way through the song though, Hojo caught up to them.  
"Come on Rin! Dance with me!" He said, taking her wrist and trying to pull her away from Sess.  
"Hojo, I'm with my boyfriend right now! I dont want to dance with you." Rin was a bit pissed at being disturbed.  
"Riiiiiiinnnnn! Come ON!" Hojo's nice-guy voice became forceful and his eyes narrowed into a glare.  
Sesshoumaru found himself growling. "She says she doesnt want to dance with you"  
"I dont care. She's going to." Hojo yanked her away aggressively, causing her to fall. Sesshoumaru saw red cloud his vision; anger fogged his senses. He let his instincts take over and punched Hojo in the gut, causing the brown-haired boy to reel back, clutching his stomach.  
"Damn it..." He muttered, catching his breath. Having the wind knocked out of ya isnt much fun. The smaller boy leapt at Sess then and a fight ensued.  
Five minutes later, Hojo was lying on the ground with two black eyes, a bloody nose, a split lip, and several other bruises all over his body. Sesshoumaru stood over him, growling menacingly. "My Rin..." Was all one could hear him say clearly through the animalistic growls and snarls.  
Hojo cowered, curling into a tight, protective ball. Sesshoumaru was just about to rip his heart out when Rin grabbed his arm, looking upset.  
"Sesshoumaru! Stop! Please"  
Sess ignored her, yanking his arm away and landing another blow to Hojo's already sore body.  
'He's going to kill him! He's really going to kill Hojo!' Rin thought wildly. She lunged herself at Sesshoumaru, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. "Sesshoumaru! Stop! Dont kill him, Love"  
That last word brought the silver-haired male to his senses. The red faded from his eyes and they turned back to their soft, amber-gold color. He looked down to see a cowering Hojo on the ground, and an upset Rin clinging to him fearfully.  
"Rin..." He said softly.  
"Sess..." She looked up at him and smiled. "Youre back"  
"I'm sorry I lost control"  
"Its okay..." Rin hugged him tighter. Sess wrapped his arms around her small form and hugged her back, planting a tender kiss on the top of her head.  
Both forgot completely about Hojo, who soon crawled away and out of the gym, probably to go home.  
"Hey Sess..." Rin said, idly tracing the designs on his haori. "We cant say we didnt see the band play soo..." She trailed off, giving her boyfriend a playful smile. He grinned in return and nodded, leading her outside onto the grounds.  
Sess fell back onto a bench, pulling Rin into his lap. Smirking, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his. He tilted his head, deepening the kiss and ran his tounge along her bottom lip. She gladly complied and opened her mouth a bit.  
His tounge gently probed inside her mouth and she let him, moaning softly into the kiss. They reluctantly pulled apart for a much-needed breath of air, and then were at it again, tongues battling for dominance this time.  
Sess quickly found himself losing control, his mind fogged with love and lust for his Rin. His hand seemed to have a mind of its own; it crept into the top of her kimono, and then he felt Rin take it back out, keeping a firm grip on his wrist.  
Her eyes showed that she wanted him as much as he wanted her, but she seemed a little worried. "Sess..." He heard her whisper. "I dont want to let it go too far... I dont think I'm ready yet"  
He nodded, placing his hands on her waist. "I'll wait then. I want our first time to be special"  
She smiled and gave him a chaste kiss. "Thank you"  
Sesshoumaru held Rin for another hour or two as the sky darkened and the stars became prominent, twinkling like glitter spread upon a dark velvet backdrop.  
"There's the Little Dipper..." Sess said softly, pointing out the constellation. Rin smiled and nodded.  
"Theres Orion..." Rin pointed to it as she spoke. She sighed contentedly and leaned against her love, laying her head against his chest. He reached up to stroke her hair gently, resting his chin on the top of her head.  
"This is nice..." He heard her whisper. "Sitting out here stargazing with you"  
"Yeah..." He smiled softly. Sess could hear the music faintly floating out from inside the gym.  
"Ya know what Sess?..." She spoke quietly, the sleepiness evident in her voice.  
"What, love"  
"I made a wish on a shooting star a couple weeks ago... I wished to meet my soul mate... And it came true"  
"Really love?" Sesshoumaru was a bit surprised. Had she wished on the very star he had wished on that night? Rin nodded against his chest. "So did I"  
"Wow, what a coincidence..." She giggled slightly, then yawned.  
"Its getting late... I'll take you home..." He said softly, standing and placing his arm around her waist to guide her.  
"Shouldnt we say goodbye to Jakotsu and Bankotsu?" She asked, feeling a little drowsy.  
"We'll see them tomorrow Rin-chan... C'mon, youre tired"  
"Mmkay..." Smiling, Sesshoumaru led her to the parking lot and helped her into his Jeep, closing the door behind her. He got in on the drivers side and pulled out.  
Jakotsu jumped down off the stage, Bankotsu following. The band was taking a break while the DJ played a few songs. Quickly, he darted outside to the parking lot.  
"Ja-chan, where're you going!" Bankotsu ran to catch up with his boyfriend. Jakotsu stopped by Bankotsu's car and smiled.  
"I needed some air... Its kinda crowded in there"  
"Yeah..." Bankotsu nodded.  
Jakotsu let out a contented sigh as he stared up at the vast sky. "Hey Ban-kun"  
"Hmm"  
"Look..." He pointed upwards. "It goes on forever... Kinda makes you feel... small, huh"  
"Yeah..." Bankotsu looked up at the sky, dark and dotted with stars. "Yeah, it does"  
Jakotsu nodded, looking forward to a few minutes of stargazing with Bankotsu. He literally jumped though, when a loud 'BANG!' sound was heard.  
"What the hell!" Bankotsu frowned. The sound was coming from the faculty parking lot.  
The two teenagers ran to see what was up.  
Right beside the principal's precious corvette, they found a gothic boy dressed in all black wearing a spiked collar and a short 9th grader in fake blue and white armor kneeling beside the left front tire.  
The back two tires were obviously flat, with remains of firecrackers littering the ground underneath.  
A senior with short purple hair, wearing a cape, ran out and joined the two by the car, snickering. "I just spiked the punch." Xelloss said in a low voice. "Pure Russian vodka"  
"Sweet!" The goth laughed, high-fiving him. The 9th grader, Phibrizzo, or just Phibby for short, stuck a couple firecrackers underneath the tire with the fuses sticking out.  
"Daemon, you wanna do the honors"  
"Hell ya!" Daemon, the goth, took out a match and swiped it against the rough surface of the concrete, then held the flame to the fuses, lighting them.  
The three guys backed up some and there was another loud bang as the firecrackers exploded, causing the tire to go flat.  
Daemon laughed quietly. "I love firecrackers"  
"Hell yeah." Phibby grinned, eyeing their work.  
Xelloss was giggling insanely.  
"So did you tell Jade that you spiked the punch Xel?" Daemon asked, turning to the purple-haired fruitcake.  
"Yeah. Why"  
Daemon shrugged. "I dunno, she's kinda funny when she's drunk I guess"  
"Lets hope she leaves enough spiked punch for the cheerleaders to get drunk." Phibby laughed. "THAT would be hilarious"  
"Yeah"  
"Lets go watch people get drunk off their asses, that'll be fun." Xelloss grinned and went inside, his two friends following.  
Jakotsu looked over at Bankotsu and snickered. "I'm just glad WE didnt have any of that"  
"Yeah... Did you see that? They blew up Mr. Justus's tires!" Bankotsu almost fell, doubled over with laughter.  
"Maybe we'd better get out of the parking lot before someone sees us..." Jakotsu stated, taking his boyfriend by the hand and leading him inside.  
"Good call Ja-chan." Bankotsu blinked as he saw Mr. Justus heading outside to the parking lot. "Uh oh"  
The gym went silent as a scream of rage from the parking lot was heard.  
"I guess Mr. Justus saw his tires..." Daemon snickered and disappeared into the crowd.  
Jakotsu stepped up to the mic. It was getting late, and this was going to be the last song of the night. He remembered this song clearly: New Abortion. It was the first song their resident lyric writer, Renkotsu, had ever written, and the first song they had ever played together as a band.  
The band started up the music and Jakotsu cleared his throat.  
Jakotsu finished with a scream of the last line and the music and his voice, stopped almost suddenly. Cheers erupted from the crowd of people in costume that were watching. All except the super-preps had really seemed to like that band that night. He stepped down from the stage tiredly. Tonight had exausted him, and his throat was a little sore. Bankotsu and the rest of the band packed their instruments and equipment and loaded the stuff into the van, then Bankotsu and Jakotsu set off for home. 


	20. Chapter 20

[AN]*sigh* i havent updated in two days... life... Anyway, I'm not really in a good mood right now, so I'm sorry if I seem... rude or cruel at times... I'm just having one of those days where almost every little thing annoys me... Oh Every Little Thing! *listens to Yura Yura*  
  
~~Review Responses~~  
  
fluffy fan: Dont you mean *too* OOC? --; I hate it when people use that much chatspeak in one review... Anyway, I KNOW HES OOC DAMN IT! ITS A FREAKING AU! *rolls eyes* And I've heard Rin's song... I can sing it from memory... Plus I've seen the freaking episode she sang it in like... 3 times...  
  
Liz.Q: Ohhhh, JA NE... XD I thought you said Jane and I was all "huh?" cuz my name is Jade and it looks like Jane... XD I'm stupid... XD yes, who cares about stupid hojo? XD  
  
milacute04: Nuuuu... The rating will NOT exceed PG-13...   
  
Shinnyu Kudzu: Really? Neato! He's mine and Daemon's fave Mazoku lord too! XD Go Phibby! Wooowwww.... Pictures coming along that good? o.o; *drooling at the thought* {Trowa: *stands by with a mop and a bucket, muttering about how he hates his life*} (Ashura: *glomped* ^^ Really? Neato! I'm loved! =D)  
  
Queenizzay: S'okee Oo; theyre good songs though, you should download em... Hehehehe... Yes, evil Hobo... Dude! A car fire? Seriously?! DAMN! I WISH I COULDA SEEEENNNN! v.v *is a pyro also XD*  
  
hush: Yaaaayyyy firecrackers! XD Tangent? Oo; Does that have anything to do with autoCAD? Oo; *confused* (Ashura: Zagar-sensei has taught you well Mage... --; in the ways of being a nerd...)  
  
LewsTherinInsanity: XD YAY! DIE MRS. BLUETHMAN! Ahahahahaha!  
  
Naoko2: Turning point? o.o; I've been talking about one of those? Mage is confuuuuuseeeddd! x.x and that never occured to me, them getting in trouble because of the tire... Oo; Anyway, you'll see whats next... 'Scent of a woman'? Never heard of it... Oo; I just thought my best friend and a couple of slayers chars blowing up my hated principal's tires would be funny... Seriously, I've heard rumors that hes a dirty old man... From my own mother even! o.o;  
  
Ookami Spirit Hishana: No, Daemon isnt from a game... He's my actual best friend! Internet best friend anyway... Daemon is his nickname. *nods*  
  
duckknight: i dont know, i might have accidentally taken things from other fics... if I did, i didnt mean to though Oo; And no, its actually not that bad for me... I've seen a LOT worse in horror movies (Death Factory for instance) that my own mom has actually watched with me... She's so cool sometimes... She doesnt care, but if she did you wouldnt wanna tell her XD She'd take me off the comp for good and that means no updates XD Wish Pheonix happy birthday? We arent on speaking terms right now cuz she cheats at duel monsters ; Yes-it's-me-animechik2620 is removing her fics? That sucks... I dont know if theres anything I can do though...  
  
Smiley-chan: Did I not put you on the review responses? IM SOWWY! *huggles* you arent unloved!  
  
serpentilewitch: Yesss... *dumps buckets of holy water on sess/kag fics* BACK TO HELL WITH YE EVIL FICS! Yes... Need more Sess/Rin fics... Maybe all us hardcore fluffyshippers should like... find every sess/rin on ff.net and list them in a directory or something Oo;  
  
Charmed Angel: Hmm... Torture chamber... Nice... XD Maybe you could stick her head in a blender and press puree XD XD XD  
  
Mega Buu: Yeah, I think you and Evan would definately get along XD Dude youre 17? cool! 2 hours of paperwork? That had to SUCK! Yeah, the tire thing was made up... But it sounded like something Dae-kun would actually do XD I love him... (as a friend/brother! ) Nu, I wasnt helping and yes my name is Jade. Anyway, congrats on getting your license!   
  
Wakadori Ramen: You werent exactly off Oo; Ah well... XD Dude... I love those songs... Oo; Whats Gackt? And I dont think they did Oo;  
  
Myjestikgirl: The tire thing was just for fun Oo; I dont even know why I put that in there...  
  
SheltonSisters: Yay! Another joins our ranks! XD Ohhhh Inu bashing! YAY!  
  
Cricket-chan: Heh, yes... Kagura evil... Your internet was down? That had to suck majorly...  
  
And thanks to everyone else who reviewed:  
  
chaotic_cloud  
  
Sakie  
  
Dragon of Sea  
  
pensquared  
  
Tigerose08  
  
ladyofthedragons1  
  
Cookie6  
  
Ciralpup  
  
Shanaka[/AN]  
  
===============================================  
  
Rin awoke on Sunday morning on the couch in the living room. "How'd I get here?" She wondered aloud, blinking sleepily. Then the memories of last night flooded her mind.  
  
Sesshoumaru walking her inside, Sesshoumaru sitting down on the couch with her, Sesshoumaru cuddling with her while she was half-asleep... She assumed he had left after she had fallen asleep on the couch.  
  
"He's so sweet..." She said softly to herself, smiling. Noticing she was still in her silk kimono costume, she ran upstairs, almost tripping over the long fabric. Once inside her bedroom, she changed out of the costume and into her bathrobe, then headed across the hall into the bathroom for a shower.  
  
She showered and then dried her hair while walking back into her room. Rin dressed in a casual baseball-style t-shirt, grey with crimson sleeves, and a pair of old jeans that were rather worn out around the bottom.  
  
Rin walked barefoot downstairs to the kitchen and poured herself a bowl of cereal, nodding a good morning to her younger brother, who had his nose buried in an issue of Shonen Jump.  
  
"Mornin' Souta."  
  
"Mornin' sis..." He said almost mindlessly, not looking up from the book. Rin frowned slightly. Souta needed to get out more, that was for sure. It seemed like he was always absorbed in his video games or his comic books nowadays.  
  
She took a bite of her cereal, silently enjoying the cinnamony taste. Souta didnt move as his sister ate, only turning the page every few minutes.  
  
"Hey Souta," She started, taking the magazine away from him and setting it on top of the cabinets. He glared and jumped for it.  
  
"RINNN! I WAS READING THAT!"  
  
"You need to get out more, you can read later. Wanna go to the park and play some catch?" She asked, smiling. Souta's glare quickly melted and he grinned from ear to ear.  
  
"Okay! I'll go get the ball!" He quickly scampered off to his room to find a baseball and his and Rin's gloves.  
  
Downstairs, Rin scrawled a note about where she and Souta were going to be on a post-it and stuck the little yellow piece of paper to the fridge.  
  
The next thing she knew, Souta was stampeding down the stairs, two gloves and a baseball in his hands. "Lets go lets go lets gooooo!" He shouted, handing Rin her glove and practically pulling her out the door. Rin laughed a bit; Souta was so excited.  
  
~*~  
  
Souta practically dragged his big sister down to the park nearby. An old lady was sitting on a bench feeding some pigeons, and there were a couple small children playing on the equipment, with their parents sitting nearby, but other than that the park was quiet today.  
  
Souta ran down the field, a good distance away from Rin and threw the ball. Rin leapt into the air, but missed and the baseball knocked an empty birds nest out of the one tree on the edge of the field.  
  
Rin laughed, jogging to retrieve the ball from underneath the tree trunk. She tossed it at her little brother and he caught it easily; Souta always was more cooridinated than her and Kagome.  
  
So the two continued to play catch into the day.  
  
~*~  
  
Souta ran across the field after the rolling white ball, sweating despite the cool November air. He and Rin had been playing for about an hour and a half now, nonstop. Rin had just made a particularly good throw, though it was too far for Souta to catch it. So now he chased after that damn thing, muttering about 'stupid sloping ground'.  
  
Lunging at the still-rolling baseball, he fell flat on his stomach in the yellowish, dry grass. He grabbed it just in time, and looked up slightly. Five pairs of worn sneakers/old boots were in his line of sight. He scrambled to his feet, ball still clutched in his hand.  
  
Souta was standing before five boys, who looked to be about 14-15. The two in front were twins, with silver hair and dark eyes. Both wore identical, evillish smirks. The other three boys stood behind their leaders, cracking their knuckles and eyeing Souta like a hawk eyes a mouse before striking.  
  
"What do you think you're doing kid?" One of the silver-haired twins stepped forward, a maniacal gleam in his eyes.  
  
"Um... Just... getting my ball..." He stammered, backing away a bit, much like a deer in the headlights of a car. ((AN: Damn! Whats with all the freakin similes?! Curse my english teacher... --))  
  
"I dont think so. You DO know that you've tresspassed on our territory, dont you?" The gang's leader grinned in a psychotic fashion.  
  
'Hey, isnt this Kageromaru and Juuromaru? Goshinki and Muso's brothers...' Souta thought. He had known Goshinki and Muso from school at one time... Before they were murdered...  
  
Kageromaru's smirk turned to a glare. "Get out kid. Leave, now. You and your sister."  
  
"Hey! We dont have to, this is a public park!" Souta shouted, suddenly angry. He didnt want to go home just yet; he and Rin were having fun darn it!  
  
Kageromaru and the rest of the gang's eyes flared with anger. "HOW DARE YOU DISOBEY KAGEROMARU-SAMA?!" The biggest of the other gang members shouted, stepping up just behind his leader.  
  
"We dont have to leave..." Souta stated again, rather meekly, though he tried to be brave. 5 guys who were twice your size were not good odds against you though.  
  
Rin jogged up then, panting slightly. "Whats going on? I heard yelling."  
  
"Rin-neechan! They said we had to leave!" Souta pointed at the small gang, moving quickly behind his big sister.  
  
Rin's eyes hardened and her face turned to a glare. "Oh did they?" She turned to Kageromaru, suddenly seeming a lot more intimidating than she was before.  
  
"This is a public park you know." She said evenly, coolly, rather like Sess would have done. Kageromaru almost shrank back, but stopped himself and glared back at the 17 year old.  
  
"This our territory, now GET OFF!"  
  
"Yeah!" Juuromaru, his twin, added.  
  
"We dont have to." Rin's voice sounded dangerous. If they even laid a finger on Souta, why she'd...  
  
Kageromaru looked furious. "Juuromaru! Ryu! Get those two and teach them a lesson!"  
  
Juuromaru and Ryu ran forward, eyes ablaze. Ryu attempted to knock Souta off his feet, but Rin was quicker. She moved in front of her brother, taking the blow for him.  
  
"Souta, get out of here! RUN NOW!" She shouted, more concerned for her little brother's safety than her own.  
  
"But nee-chan..." His eyes were wide open with fright.  
  
"I SAID GO!"  
  
Souta nodded once and ran across the field as if the Devil himself were at his heels.  
  
~*~  
  
Souta ran down the sidewalk, almost knocking over an old lady carrying her groceries. His mind raced; what to do?! His sister was back there fighting 5 guys who could possibly have knives or guns! She could get killed!  
  
'What to do? What should I do?' He thought frantically. Get Kagome? No, she was at the mall with Inu-oniichan. Get mom, grandpa? No, they werent home at the moment. He felt tears pricking at his eyes.  
  
'She could get killed! I shouldnt have left, I should have stayed to help her fight them off, even though I'm not that big...' Souta sped up a bit, wondering what the hell he was going to do.  
  
He stopped as he heard someone shout his name from behind and a white Jeep slowed down on the street beside him.  
  
"Oi! Souta, where are you going in such a hurry?"  
  
"SESSHOU-NIISAMA!" Souta was overjoyed. Surely his sister's boyfriend could help!  
  
"The one and only. Whats going on?" Sess asked in confusion, looking at the panting boy. He had looked frantic.  
  
"Its Rin-neechan! She's back at the park fighting a bunch of guys! You gotta help Sesshou-niisama! I DONT WANT NEECHAN TO GET KILLED!" He wailed, tears finally spilling.  
  
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. Rin was fighting someone?! More than one someone?! "Hurry and get in!" He shouted, frantic now. She could get hurt goddamn it!  
  
Souta hurriedly scrambled into the passenger's seat and slammed the door shut even as Sess drove. He was really pushing the speed limit, hoping he would make it to the park on time.  
  
~*~  
  
Rin ducked another punch and sent a kick to Ryu's groin. It was a dirty trick, she knew, but by god, she was outnumbered here! She kicked him again as he fell to the ground, doubled over in pain.  
  
"YOURE NOT SUPPOSED TO HIT GIRLS YA KNOW!" She screamed, smacking him over the head with her baseball glove.  
  
Juuromaru lunged at her from the side, knocking her over and landing on top of her. She winced from the impact, and began to struggle to roll them over.  
  
Juuromaru landed a blow to her face. Owww... That was definately going to leave a bruise, she thought dryly. The other two thugs piled themselves on top of her along with Juuromaru, and began to hit her repeatedly.  
  
Freeing her right leg, Rin landed a kick to one of the thug's hurt spot and he immediately keeled over in pain. Okay, so it was REALLY a dirty trick to use it twice, but GOD DAMN IT SHE WAS OUTNUMBERED!  
  
The other thug kneeled by his friend, checking to see if he was okay. Juuromaru grimaced a bit, but kept his hold on Rin.  
  
Rin hissed animalistically, startling him into letting go of her arm and she immediately punched him in the face. Her mouth twisted into a smirk as she heard a crack, and assumed she had broken his nose.  
  
Kageromaru had stood off to the side, watching his men do his dirty work. Now that two were down, one was injured, and one was distracted, it looked like he would have to join in the fight himself.  
  
Rin picked up her glove again and slapped the only uninjured thug upside the head with it.. "Down." She commanded, as one would command a dog, as he began to stand. The thug's eyes widened and he dropped back to the ground.  
  
"Y-yes ma'am..." The thug was afraid now. This girl wasnt afraid to hit back like most girls, and she fought dirty too!  
  
Finally Rin turned to the last gang member, Kageromaru. She was panting with exertion and the front of her shirt was drenched with sweat, but adrenaline coursed through her veins and justice demanded to be served.  
  
Kageromaru's eyes widned. 'Shit! She's going for me next!' He thought wildly, attempting to turn tail and run. Rin was too fast for him though.  
  
"AIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIIIIIIIIIIII!" She let loose an ear-piercing, Amazon-like war cry, or shriek was more like it. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. Rin dashed at Kageromaru, fist outstretched. Her fist caught him in the stomach and knocked the wind out of him. Kageromaru flew back, gasping.  
  
Glancing around at her work, she crossed her arms and smirked. "THATS why boys arent supposed to hit girls." She proclaimed, grinning. A random groan of pain was the only response.  
  
~*~  
  
A white Jeep pulled up, with a worried Sess and a hysteric Souta in it. Sess leapt out of the vehicle and ran to his girlfriend. Worry was obvious, though his face didnt show much.  
  
"Rin? Rin-chan, are you okay?" He gripped her upper arms lightly and inspected her thoroughly. She seemed okay enough; a little worn, drenched with sweat, a black eye and a couple of bruises. There was no blood anywhere.  
  
"I'm fine Sess. You didnt need to come to my rescue..." She stated, crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air.  
  
He chuckled a bit. "I can see that. Remind me not to get on your bad side." Sess glanced around at the fallen gang members, shaking his head a bit. Rin had done all this damage? Sugoi!  
  
Souta ran to his sister and threw his arms around her. "Rin-neechaaaaannnn!" He wailed, still crying. "I was so scared you'd get hurt!"  
  
"But I didnt, did I?" Rin said gently, smiling and hugging her brother back. He sniffled.  
  
"No..."  
  
"There ya go. No reason to worry."  
  
"Yeah." Sess smiled. "Rin can definately take care of herself Souta-kun..." Souta let go, and it was Sesshoumaru's turn to envelop the woman in his gentle embrace.  
  
"We should get Nee-chan something cold for her eye..." Souta stated, looking up at his sister's face.  
  
Sess nodded and headed to the machine near the bathrooms, buying a couple of Powerades. Walking back to his girlfriend and Souta, he tossed the 3rd grader one of the bottles and handed the other to Rin to put over her eye.  
  
"Thanks Sess..." She said, sighing contentedly. The cold felt good on her black eye.  
  
"No prob... Lets go home now, I'll give you guys a ride..." So the three piled into the Jeep and Sess pulled out.  
  
~*~  
  
Maybe about 30 minutes after the three left in the Jeep, Kageromaru slowly rose to his feet, groaning in pain. "Damn wench..." Royally pissed, he shook Juuromaru awake and the two walked home slowly.  
  
"Kagura?" Kageromaru called out softly, glancing around the living room. No sign of their mother. "Kagura?" He called a bit louder.  
  
"Hmm? Kagero-kun? Juu-kun?" Kagura stepped out of the kitchen, holding Hakudoshi. She gasped as soon as she saw her brothers' bruises and scrapes. "Oh god!"  
  
"We ah... got into another fight..." Juuromaru said, looking down at his feet. It was one of the rare times that he spoke.  
  
Kagura scowled at her little brothers. "I see that." Setting Hakudoshi on the couch, she stormed upstairs to get the first aid kit, and came back down.  
  
"You two really should stay out of gang fights." She muttered, putting a band-aid and medicine over a cut on Juuromaru's arm.  
  
"Well they were on our territory and pissing us off." Kageromaru stated, glaring.  
  
"I dont care!" She stood abruptly, screeching. "You two had better stay out of trouble from now on!"  
  
"YOU CANT TELL US WHAT TO DO KAGURA!" Kageromaru shouted angrily. Juuromaru nodded furiously. Both twins then stormed up to their room, muttering.  
  
Kagura sighed and flopped back onto the couch. Why couldnt they just stay out of trouble?  
  
"Nee-sama, why do Kagero-niisama and Juuro-niisama fight wif people all da time?..." Hakudoshi asked innocently, climbing into his sister's lap.  
  
"I dont know Haku-chan... I dont know..."  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]Mwee... I cant think of anything to say... Except I KNEW I forgot something last chapter ; Anyway... yeah...  
  
Recommended Reading:   
  
~~What's the Difference between a Boy and Girl? - by loozer-09 - Story ID 1523600 - A cute, funny fic about Sesshoumaru and little Rin. Really good if you're wanting to read something humorous!  
  
~~Fragile Heart - by Angel64 - Story ID 1224179 - I love this sooo much...  
  
~~Out of the Labyrinth - by Smiley-chan - Story ID 1520609 - An angsty, one-shot about Sesshoumaru *teary eyes* Its so beautiful... 


	21. Chapter 21

[AN]Konnichiwa minna-sama! Some of the plot actually comes in in this chap! XD Then its just fluff... I'm happy cuz I just got an Evanescence CD recently... *loves Evanescence now* Bad thing is though, I owe my mom $25 and my bro $15 Oo; I'm in debt... Oh well ^^   
  
~~Review Responses~~  
  
Charmed Angel: Heh, that sucks. Oo; Anzu's head fit in my blender... *points to a half-pureed Anzu (aka Tea, from YuGiOh) lying on the ground* XD  
  
Sakie: Thanks! XD Rin surprised me too XD But hey, I was listening to Slipknot... Music affects my writing a LOT... Oo; Yes, I think we girls can all learn from Rin-chan XD  
  
ladyofthedragons1: Yay! I'm a good author! =D *dancedance* Yep, all girls should know how to kick ass! *strongly believes this since she grew up with 3 brothers...*  
  
Naoko2: Yeah, Rin plays the 'damsel in distress' role much too often... Plus one of the points of writing this story was to take a cliche idea and make it un-cliche... So Rin kicking ass was uncliche XD Dude, we should start the "Rin Can Kick Ass Too" foundation or something XD XD XD  
  
SheltonSisters: You can rant about your dislike of Sess/Kag if ya want! XD *LOVES listening to Sess/Kag hate rants* *likes writing em too XD* Haha! Inu-bashing! Gotta love... XD  
  
Queenizzay: Whoo! Power to the pyros! XD Haha! You seriously almost blew up a microwave? TIGHT!!!  
  
Ookami Spirit Hishana: [Twins: @.@ *dizzy eyes*] Ahahahahahaha! Baka twins should know better ^^ Cause girls kick ass! XD Oohhhh da MIW (men in white) o.o;;; I know dem alllll toooooo wellllllll....  
  
hush: AutoCAD - mechanical drawing on the computer. its kind of an advanced-ish class. Oh kitty! =D Hehe... *huggles her own kitty Tia* *Tia hisses, bites Mage, and runs off* ; Stupid fat-ass orange cat... Heh, I have LOTS of super-random dreams Oo; And dont blame me ; blame... um... EVAN! XD (Ashura: Evan is her brother if you were wondering... He dresses like Trunks off DBZ half the time Oo;)  
  
Mega Buu: Youre so understanding! ^^ *glomps* Luff! Anyway, I'm in 8th grade, yes, and I go to the Mid-high... Mwee, you flatter Mage ^_^ *glomps again* More luff! Sugi Komadori? Cant say I have...  
  
Wakadori Ramen: XD yes... And that was what I was aiming for XD Wheee...  
  
Smiley-chan: Yes, I would have left a review, but I was being lazy e.e;;; Gomen nasai...  
  
milacute04: Ja-kun and Ban-kun are living back in their own houses again I guess Oo; never thought about it really... ah well ^^  
  
Rin9: I'm adding more... Sleepover comes in soon, things have to happen before dat...  
  
And thanks to everyone else who reviewed:   
  
chibi Nataly  
  
mYjesTikgiRl  
  
Cookie6  
  
Sour Schuyler  
  
Ninetales122  
  
Dragon of Sea  
  
LewsTherinInsanity  
  
chaotic_cloud  
  
narye-ah  
  
Tigerose08  
  
===============================================  
  
The rest of the day passed, and now it was about 9-10 PM. The sky above was black, dotted with silver. It was the new moon tonight. A cold breeze blew through the treetops, whistling through the near-bare, skeletal trees.  
  
Two figures sat on the porch swing of the tall white house on Arrow St., leaning against each other and gazing at the stars overhead. Silvery-white and dark brown hair shone under the soft glow of the porch lights. It was quiet, except for the sounds of the night.  
  
Just a half-hour ago, together, Rin and Sesshoumaru had put Souta to bed, as if he were a small child again. Souta didnt complain though; he rather enjoyed the attention, even the ruffle of the hair from "Sesshou-niisama".  
  
Rin closed her eyes as the porch swing gently moved back and forth, Sesshoumaru giving a slight push off the ground with his foot occasionally. The soft motion, combined with being held by the love of her life and the peacefulness of the night, was relaxing.  
  
'This is so nice... Its such a beautiful night...' Rin thought, gazing over the front yard of the Higurashi residence. 'And having Sess here makes it all the more better... Kikyo... would have loved a night like tonight...'  
  
She sighed softly, almost inaudible. It was always depressing to think of her cousin. 'I wont think about her... Not now... Tonight is supposed to be Sesshoumaru's and my night...'  
  
Sesshoumaru smiled ever so slightly as his hand idly stroked Rin's silky hair. 'Ahhh... Its nights like these that take away all of one's worries...' He gave a sigh of content. 'Spending time under the stars with the one you love... Surely, there's nothing better than this...'  
  
As he glanced down at the serene woman currently cuddled in his embrace, his thoughts turned from the night, to Rin. 'I'm so lucky I met her... Before Rin, my life was... dull and routine... Before Rin, all that mattered was school and getting into college... Now I've got someone to cherish, someone to love... Someone to love me back... And I realized...  
  
I wasnt truly content with my life before I met Rin.'  
  
He remembered it all clearly, every single moment; seeing her reading on the bench, their reactions to when they found out they were partners, her head resting on his lap as she bled on the theater parking lot, her pained expression, her first words... Oh, he remembered the first time she had spoken to him as if it had happened only earlier.  
  
He remembered the joy and the pain of hearing her first word in two years: Sesshoumaru. He was glad she said his name, glad she spoke, but he was sad that it had to happen like that.  
  
'Why did she quit speaking anyway? What happened to her?... Should I ask? I really want to know... Maybe she'll tell me; we're really close now... Its probably something she wants to forget though...'  
  
Finally, curiosity overrode his common sense, and softly he spoke. "Rin... I was thinking..."  
  
"Mm? About what?" She asked, voice equally as soft.  
  
"You... Me... Us... How we met..."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"I was just... wondering... but... what exactly made you... mute in the first place?..." He cringed mentally. She was either going to get upset and cry, slap him, or stalk off all depressed; maybe even a mixture of the three.  
  
Her body immediately tensed, and her mind raced. 'Hes asking... that? Oh god... I just want to forget about that!' Images flashed through her mind; the shadowed figure slashing at Kikyo's body as Rin watched, horrified, from her hiding place behind the dresser, the figure tossing Kikyo out the window, the sickening sound of his laughter, the frightening red eyes... The image of herself peeking out the 2nd story window and seeing the bloody mangled mess on the ground.  
  
Rin had wanted to scream, but she couldnt. It was too terrifying. So she did the only thing that came to mind; she ran. She ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction.  
  
"Rin?..." Sesshoumaru's soft voice startled her back into reality. "Rin, are you okay?..."  
  
A tiny whimper was her only response.  
  
Sesshoumaru frowned slightly and tightened his hold on her, hugging her protectively. "Its okay... You dont have to tell me if you dont want to..."  
  
"I... I saw..." Rin stuttered out, feeling the tears surface. "Ki-Kikyo..."  
  
"Kikyo? Who's Kikyo?"  
  
"M-my cousin... She was..."  
  
"What do you mean, she *was*?" Sesshoumaru frowned in confusion. "Is she... dead?" Rin nodded, the tears spilling from her eyes. "Shhh, Rin... Dont get upset, its okay..."  
  
He rubbed her back awkwardly. He just never knew what to do when girls cried! Why did they have to get upset so much?!  
  
"I... saw... K-Kikyo..." Rin shuddered against him, sobbing. "Killed... She was killed..."  
  
"You saw her being... murdered?..." Golden eyes widened as she nodded again. How awful! No wonder she had gone mute! And it was no wonder she was this upset. "I shouldnt have asked, I'm sorry..."  
  
"N-no... S'okay..." She sniffled, clutching his shirt with one hand and inhaling his calming scent: spice, his cologne, and his own male essence. She took a long, shuddery breath to calm down a bit.  
  
"I saw... Kikyo... being murdered... He... He made it look... l-like suicide... They wouldnt listen to me when I said she... wouldnt ever do that... Well, not really said but... Anyway... Turns out her boyfriend, some older guy, had just dumped her for someone else..."  
  
Sesshoumaru felt her shiver and draped his jacket around her shoulders, holding her close. "That's awful... I'm so sorry... You should tell the police so they can catch the murderer..."  
  
"N-no, I-I-I dont think I could..."  
  
"I'd be there with you of course..." He stroked her hair gently, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "My dad's friend is the chief of police, he'd help..."  
  
"I cant... not just yet..." She buried her face against him and he felt his t-shirt dampen a bit as she cried. He continued to rock the swing a bit, shushing her and holding her, trying his best to make her feel better...  
  
"When you're ready then..."  
  
Already, Sesshoumaru's mind was on the week ahead; he was trying to think of things he could do with Rin to make her forget about Kikyo, at least temporarily.  
  
~*~  
  
The next morning, Monday, Sesshoumaru awoke in his bedroom. Last night, after Rin had stopped crying, he had taken her to bed and gone home.  
  
He climbed out of bed, blinking in the morning sun streaming through his window. Damned flimsy, light colored curtains! Rubbing the last traces of sleep from his eyes, he glanced at the calendar sitting open on his desk. His eyes roamed to November 2, which was circled with red ink.  
  
Today was the track meet. Their school would be going up against the other 4 top schools in the area.  
  
"Ugh... goddamn it..." He muttered, stretching his stiff muscles. He hadnt practiced lately and hoped to whatever God was up there that he'd do at least okay.  
  
Glancing at the clock on his bedside table, he saw that it was about 6 AM. "Maybe I'll go for a jog before school..."  
  
Finalizing his decision, he threw on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, along with his running shoes, and went downstairs. His father sat at the kitchen table, drinking his coffee and reading the newspaper while Mitsuko went about making breakfast. Inuyasha sat across from their father, reading the stolen funnies.  
  
Damn those morning people.  
  
Sess snatched the uneaten half of Inuyasha's bagel and downed that quickly, along with a glass of juice. Ignoring Inuyasha's yelling, then muttering, he walked casually out the door, smirking slightly.  
  
Taking off down the edge of the street, he ran until his chest heaved and his legs burned from exertion.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru sat upon the fake lawn inside the building where the indoor track was contained, stretching his muscles and getting ready for the first race. He could clearly see his competition: a tall, long-legged, brown-haired boy with piercing blue eyes, whom he recognized as Seto Kaiba, head of Kaiba Corp, a guy with red hair and violet eyes, Kenshin Himura (He had met Kenshin at a fencing competition a year or so back), a normal looking guy with brown hair (Hideki Motosuwa, who he had met 4 years back in school; Hideki had moved since then), and two guys he didnt recognize.  
  
"Sizing up the competition, eh Sess?" Jakotsu asked, sitting down beside him. "That red-head's kinda hot, ne?"  
  
Sess rolled his eyes and whacked his friend upside the head, not hard though. "You know very well that I dont think that."  
  
"Yeah yeah." Jakotsu giggled. "Oh, Sess! You will NOT believe what happened yesterday!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Turns out, the owner of the new club's son was at the Halloween dance, and he mentioned the Shichinin-tai to his father and we've got a gig for Friday night!"  
  
"Really? Thats great Jakotsu. But did you forget that we all have plans for Friday?"  
  
"Oh... Shizit..." Jakotsu frowned. "Maybe you all could come down to the club, watch us play, and then after we finish around 11 or so, we could all head down to your place for the party!"  
  
"We could do that..."  
  
"Great!"  
  
Then the announcements were made, calling the first runners to the start. Sess jogged to the designated area, along with Kenshin and some guys he didnt know.  
  
Quickly, his eyes scanned the crowd. Was she here? Did she show up? Did she forget? His mind raced as he looked over the stands.  
  
Finally, his gaze settled on Rin, who was sitting in the very front row, smiling encouragingly just for him... He flashed her a smile of his own, and got into position.  
  
"Ready.... Set..... GO!" The man fired off a pop gun into the air and the runners took off. Sess ran as hard as he could, but fell into 3rd place quickly. 'Why, oh WHY did I not keep in shape?!'  
  
Legs burning and chest heaving, he continued on, not slowing down for a minute. He drew closer to the finish line and was now in second.  
  
"GO SESS!" Sess heard the voice he so loved to hear screaming and cheering for him. Her voice rose above the rest of the crowd.  
  
A vision appeared before him then; standing at the finish line, he imagined Rin, waiting for him with open arms. His vision was smiling that smile he so loved, honey brown eyes sparkled. He ran towards that vision, unconsiously speeding up.  
  
He wasnt going to let that wonderful image vanish... He wasnt going to let that other runner get to her before him...  
  
The next thing he knew, he was running across the white line, and he stopped. He heard cheering and screaming; the team was yelling his name, shouting congratualtions. He could hear Rin still, and saw her jumping up and down on the bench in excitement.  
  
Sess had gotten first place...  
  
He walked back to the sidelines and took a small drink of water, trying to catch his breath. Rin ran down from the stands and hugged him tightly, grinning.  
  
"You did so well! That was such an amazing comeback Sess! I cant believe it! You actually took first place!"  
  
He smiled and placed an arm around the over-excited woman. "Yeah... And I've got you to thank..." Rin looked confused, but Sess wouldnt explain.  
  
~*~  
  
Sess smiled as he walked out to his Jeep, his arm around Rin's shoulders after the meet had ended. He had done well, coming in first all but twice. The other members on the team, Jakotsu, Bankotsu, Kouga, Miroku, Inuyasha; they had done pretty well also.   
  
"Wow! That was so exciting!" Rin said, voice hoarse from cheering. Hey, she DID have 6 different people to cheer FOR...  
  
"Yeah, it was..." Sess agreed, nodding. The two climbed into the vehicle and Sess drove Rin home.  
  
~*~  
  
Sess pulled into the Higurashi's driveway and turned to look at Rin. "I'll seeya tomorrow Rin..." He said, smiling.  
  
"Yeah, seeya..." She smiled back and leaned over the seat, claiming his lips with her own in a quick kiss. "You were so good out there... I'm proud to be yours..." Rin whispered, then got out of the Jeep and went inside quickly, probably to hide her slight blush.  
  
'Mine... Rin's mine...' Sesshoumaru rather liked how that sounded in his mind. Feeling a wave of happiness and contentment wash over his tired body, he drove home.  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]I am officially going through a mid-life crisis! ;_; *cries*  
  
Ashura: ....--; it aint a mid-life crisis. You just cant choose who you want to be for Halloween this year...  
  
Mage: Well I cant decide and its bugging me cuz i want to start my costume asap! So... you guys can vote! XD Should I be Rin, Sango, or Kikyo? Anyway, R&R please! 


	22. Chapter 22

[AN]Mage: OVER 400 REIVEWS! HOLY SHIZIT! O.O  
  
Ashura: Shizit - a dickie roberts word for those of you that havent seen the movie...  
  
Mage: I loved that movie ^-^ *dancedance* I feel pritty, oh so pritty! *proceeds in singing that one annoying song from Anger Management*  
  
Ashura: Forgive her, she's lost her marbles...  
  
Mage: I never HAD marbles Ashy-chan Oo;  
  
Ashura: Good point...  
  
Mage: I mean, i always preferred cards ^__^  
  
Ashura: *anime fall* And Zagar made YOU secretary of TSA... I have lost all respect for Zagar now... *shakes head*  
  
Mage: Hey! I like Zagar!   
  
Trowa: *glares and holds up a sign that says "REVIEW RESPONSES! NOW!"*  
  
Mage, Ashura: Hai, hai!   
  
(Quick Note: I dont own Kakeru. He is the sole property of my bestest guy friend Daemon. Ashura and Kakeru are two of our rp characters.)  
  
~~Review Responses~~  
  
Shinnyu Kudzu: dun worry, I aint gonna be her Oo; Her outfits boring anyway... I think i look too old to be Rin Oo; plus I'm blonde... But what the hell? XD Heheh Oo; I know we'd all LOVE to have sesshy as our own... Too bad hes taken XD And Kenshin just seemed like a track team kinda guy Oo; And in response to your other review: Cant wait to see both of the pics! ^_^ And Ashura cant, as much as he would like to Oo; he has a boyfriend, dont you Ashy-chan? (Ashura: Pleeeeease? Kakeru'll never know! v.v) He'll kill you AND akarou if he finds you with another guy Ash Oo; you know that. (Ashura: yes... ka-chan's so possessive...) Anyway, yeah...   
  
fluffy fan: Actually, my only older brother is 19 or 20, and I think he took a bus out of the state with his girlfriend a couple days ago... *shrugs* I honestly have no clue where he is. gunbound? Whats that? Oo;  
  
iforgetreally: yeah, kikyos scary as hell Oo; bum? THAT SOUNDS FUN! XD I wonder if i can get my little brother to dress up as a hobo Oo; that'd be funny XD  
  
pensquared: Yeah, I wanted to be Inuyasha originally (just to wear the dog ears! XD) but i couldnt find a reasonably priced costume and mom didnt wanna hafta make those huge pants XD Makimachi Misao? Mage is not familiar with this name...  
  
hush: yesss, blame Evan! ^_^ (Ashura: you ALWAYS blame your brother... like when the sierra mist 12 pack fell off the table and 4 cans burst all over the floor...) THAT REALLY WAS EVAN DAMN IT! and yesh, he is to blame ^_^ [Evan mutters about everything being Mage's fault...] ;;  
  
milacute04: Yes, Mage wants a boyfriend too... A goth or an anime freak preferrably... Mage wishes Michael liked Mage like that v.v Yes, sadsad death for icky nasty kikyo ^_^  
  
Ciralpup: How to get fics on ff.net? E-mail me and I'll try to help you out! Your ficcy sounds interesting, very nice pairings! ^_^  
  
SaiyanPrincess33: Ooohh! Kouga! That'd be an interesting costume! XD or Sano... ^_^ dude i know where i sleep too! XD heh, mr. burns... XD  
  
InuBabyGirl: Nuuuu, Sesshy is Rin's! ; Fight HER for him... [Ashura, Trowa, Ashy's bf Kakeru, Ginta, and Hakkaku are all holding back a screaming and kicking Rin, while Sessh watches all o.o;;...] {Rin: LEMME AT HER DAMN IT! MY SESSHY!} (Ashura: GET THE STRAIGHT JACKET KA-CHAN! HURRY!) [Kakeru: Hai Ashura-sama!] Oo; while my security restrains a very pissed off human, the answer to your question is probably... um... I got bored with school, so I wrote about them doing other stuff ^_^  
  
Ookami Spirit Hishana: Heh, I dont think i can scare anyone more than I already do! XD Preps fear me cuz I'm gothish/punkish, dont believe in god (like just about everybody at my school...), and insult them often Oo; i can think up lots of good insults ^__^  
  
Cricket-chan: OOHH! Botan! COOLNESS! My friend LOVES Botan Oo; Heheh... Band Geeks? Sounds good... I'll get around to reading that when I have some extra time on my hands.  
  
Tigerose08: I'm blonde too... Just get some temporary hair color Oo; heh Oo; thats what I plan on doing... just wish my hair was longer ;_;  
  
duckknight: ^^ Heh... And yes, everything is fully explained towards the end...  
  
LadyMissymia: Arigatou! Yes, Seto's a cutie, but I prefer his Egyptian ancestor XD Seito's such a neat character... Ya really think a demon exterminator suits me? ^_^ yay!  
  
Sakie: *giggles* I'd definately pick Bankotsu over Kenshin. Kenshin's kinda... girly if ya ask me Oo; no offense, hes cute, but... kinda girly at times... Eheh...  
  
Nevheera: Okay, you have succeeded in pissing me off... (Ashura: not that thats hard to do...) 1) I DO HAVE A PLOT DAMN IT! HAVE YOU NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION?! 2) WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY MONOTONOUS?! *eye twitches* Ya know, its considered a flame when you dont give tips on how to improve... Just saying my story (my hard work, my pride and joy...) has no plot and is monotonous is flaming... *eye twitches more* (Kakeru: You should see a doctor about that Oo;) Shut up Kakeru ;  
  
Smiley-chan: I dont remember how I found it... I think i clicked your profile after reading a review... I'm still so sorry about not reviewing, I'll get around to it sometime! I promise! Demon overlord's honor! (Sorry, inside joke Oo) Heheh... Yami Malik in fencing... interesting idea XD  
  
Liz.Q: Yes! ^_^ Plus I'd be able to thwack any Mirokus I come across! XD This week? YAY! Cant wait! Eheh... ^_^  
  
Charmed Angel: YAY! Shave her head! XD *imagines Nazuna with a shaved head*  
  
Naoko2: ^__^ And I cant say who murdered Kikyo ; so shhhh... *makes shh sign* Dude I should start a Rin/Sess tribute site! When I get the time Oo; Believe it or not, I'm very busy what with being elected Secretary of our town's chapter of the TSA and having fics to write/post...  
  
Rin9: ^^ Arigatou! Sleepover comes in in chapter... 25 to be exact. Heh... Yeah, I tried to take my time in developing their relationship before they got together...  
  
Dragon Of Sea: True, true... Really? DUDE! XD That sounds funny... Yeah, I know how you probably feel... No one I know knows what Inuyasha is either ('cept Brad! Hes so cool! ^_^) so only Brad'll know who I'm going to be come halloween XD  
  
LewsTherinInsanity: I hate her too... And her costumes kinda cool, but its still kinda boring... Unlike Sango's! XD Sacrificing Kagura will come AFTER da story...  
  
Paragorgon: Heh ^^ Yah, I love Hiraikotsu... Hey, i AM 13 Oo; so i'm not too old yet! XD this is my last year though... v.v  
  
Queenizzay: Duuuuude... I take it your mom doesnt like anything to do with death Oo; I'm lucky my mom's okay with my being goth/punk and junk... Dude I had a friend that always used me... ; Now we never even talk anymore after an argument about which was more important to me- the comp or her Oo; i chose the comp! XD  
  
Mega Buu: ^_^ I kick ass? THATS THE NICEST THING ANYONES EVER SAID TO MEEEE! *sobs happily and glomps* Other than the time someone called me a demon overlord XD they were TRYING to insult me, but i dont take that as an insult Oo; Yes, you did help! ^_^ I think your comment helped me most in making my decision...  
  
Wakadori Ramen: Okay, everyone THOUGHT Kikyo committed suicide because it looked like suicide and they didnt have anyone who actually saw it, other than Rin, but they didnt really believe Rin. They also thought it was suicide because they thought Kikyo might have been really depressed since her boyfriend left her.   
  
Aamalie: Yay! Sango/Miroku! ^_^ My 3rd favorite pairing! *dancedance* I just LOVE San/Mir... But I like Sess/Rin and Ja/Ban more. Ooohh taijiya armor... I wish I knew how to make sango's battle outfit XD i'm no good with crafts though...  
  
And thanks to everyone else who reviewed:  
  
Crimson Demon  
  
Rain67  
  
Ninetales122  
  
chaotic_cloud  
  
ladyofthedragons1  
  
ElectricRain  
  
Neko02  
  
===============================================  
  
It was lunchtime, Monday afternoon. Sesshoumaru hurried out of class and out the doors onto campus. Golden eyes glanced around, searching for Rin, Jakotsu, and Bankotsu.  
  
He found them sitting under a small cluster of sakura trees, talking.  
  
"Hello Sessy-dear!" That voice... Sess shivered inwardly. What did she want NOW?!  
  
"Hello... Kagura..." He said coldly, eye twitching as the girl stepped in front of him, blocking his path. For once, Yura, Tsubaki, and Tsuyu were nowhere in sight.  
  
"We hardly ever get to see one another now! Will you have lunch with me?" She flashed him a sickeningly sweet smile. "Come on, just you and me?"  
  
"I cant. I dont want my girlfriend to think I'm cheating on her." He almost smirked at the flash of anger that invaded her crimson eyes when he said 'girlfriend'.  
  
"Maybe she'd like to... join us then..." He saw her eye twitch.  
  
Sess would have told her how he really felt about Kagura, but he was just too damn polite to do that. Inuyasha... Now HE would have just told her to fuck off, but Sess didnt want to sink to that level.  
  
"Sorry, I've got to go meet Rin, Bankotsu and Jakotsu." He side-stepped the angry woman and joined his friends and girlfriend under the sakura trees.  
  
~*~  
  
Kagura almost felt like crying. He had blown her off! 'Why cant he just notice me?!' She thought furiously, finding herself growling slightly. 'I ALWAYS get the guy I want! THIS SHOULDNT BE HAPPENING!'  
  
So she stormed off to find Yura, Tsuyu, and Tsubaki, muttering. She was so angry in fact, that she didnt notice the wistful gaze of a certain dark-haired Thunder Brother.  
  
~*~  
  
Meanwhile, behind the school building, two male figures dressed in black were currently involved in a heated kiss. The one with a white mohawkish hairstyle found himself moaning into the kiss. His lover, a boy with both white and black hair, begain trailing kisses down his neck.  
  
"Ahhh Ginta..." Hakkaku gasped as Ginta started lifting his shirt over his head. "Not now..." Ginta gave a whimper.  
  
"Why not? We have 20 minutes left you know..."  
  
"Someone might..." He took in a sharp intake of air as his lover suckled at his neck. "catch us..."  
  
"Aww... Come onnnnn... I want you nowwww..." Ginta whined.  
  
"Nooo... Not now... Ack! No! Not the puppy eyes!" Hakkaku covered his eyes with his hand as Ginta pulled the ever-famous puppy eyes on him.  
  
Both were so distracted that they didnt see the red-headed 8th grader sticking his head out the window on the second floor directly above the two.  
  
~*~  
  
Shippo grinned and turned back around, looking over at his partner-in-crime, who was filling water balloons with greyish junk of a cafeteria origin. (The lunch ladies had called it chocolate pudding, but it sure as hell didnt look like any pudding Shippo had ever seen!)  
  
The girl's dark hair was pulled back into low pigtails; her brown eyes sparkled with mischief. She wore a baggy black and white t-shirt, most likely her brother's, and his old cargo jeans too.  
  
"Almost got em ready, Souten-chan?" Shippo asked, glancing over her work.  
  
"Yep! Just one more to go Shippo-kun!" Souten giggled and filled the last balloon, making it extra large.  
  
"Great!"  
  
The two had occupied an empty, unlocked storage room for lunch, and luckily, two someones were currently making out directly underneath them.  
  
"This is gonna be great!" Shippo laughed quietly with glee. He just LOVED hanging out with Souten and making mischief. They were two of a kind really, thats why they had agreed to go out as boyfriend and girlfriend, though it wasnt serious at all.  
  
"Done!" Souten handed her best friend and boyfriend the biggest pudding-balloon, taking the next biggest one herself. She moved so she was side-by-side with Shippo in front of the window. Leaning out at the same time, they let their bombs drop.  
  
~*~  
  
Ginta had Hakkakus shirt off by now, and currently had him against the brick wall, kissing him heatedly. Until...   
  
"OH SHIZIT!" Hakkaku screamed, wiping the greyish pudding-like substance from his eyes. The balloons had landed right on target, and both boys were now covered in chocolate pudding.  
  
"Ah shit! Who the hell did that?!" Ginta was madder than mad by now. He had pudding all over his clothes, and even worse, their romantic mood had been ruined!  
  
"Probably those two 8th graders... The red-head and his girlfriend..." Hakkaku muttered.  
  
"Shippo and Souten... I'll kill those little brats..." Ginta and Hakkaku both trailed inside to clean up in the boys bathroom.  
  
~*~  
  
Up in the storage room, Souten was collapsed on the dirty floor, laughing so hard she was beginning to turn blue. Shippo was doubled over, unable to draw in the breath to laugh more.  
  
"Oh... my... god... THAT WAS HILARIOUS!" Souten shouted, body shaking with her laughter.  
  
"Agreed!" After their laughing had died down, Shippo glanced at his watch. "Hey, we still have 15 minutes left. Wanna go put tarantulas in that one senior prep's locker?"  
  
"That Kagura weirdo?"  
  
"Yeah! Her."  
  
"I've heard my brother Hiten talking about her... I think he really likes her..." An evil grin spread across Souten's still childish-looking face. "Yeah! Lets do it!"  
  
Shippo grinned. God he liked this girl! She wasnt like other girls, who only cared about their appearance and being popular. Souten was the kind of girl you could just talk to and have fun with. And pull pranks with... "You get the tarantulas, I'll go get Kagura's locker combination."  
  
"Live or fake?" Souten asked, though she already knew the answer.  
  
"Live of course."  
  
Snickering, both ran out the door and in seperate directions.  
  
~*~  
  
The bell rang and Kagura stormed inside, still angry about earlier. She was even madder since Jakotsu, Bankotsu, Rin, and Sesshoumaru were not too far behind, talking as they walked to their lockers.  
  
Kagura stopped at hers and entered in her combination. The lock clicked open and she swung the door open. Reaching for her book, she felt something hairy creeping onto her hand. "What the...?"  
  
Looking inside, Kagura screamed bloody freakin murder at what she saw. Tarantulas! A whole lot of tarantulas! Big, hairy, creepy tarantulas!  
  
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Her shrill voice pierced through the noise of the crowd, and the hallways immediately silenced as everyone crowded around Kagura's locker to see what was going on.  
  
Several girls shrieked at the sight of the tarantulas climbing out of the locker and over Kagura. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened at the sight and he began to snicker. Jakotsu and Bankotsu were currently laughing their asses off and Rin was staring, horrified, at the spiders.  
  
Rin backed away, heart racing with fear and she turned tail and ran as fast as she could to escape the image.  
  
"What the...? Rin?" Sess frowned slightly and ran after her.  
  
~*~  
  
Kagura continued to scream as the tarantulas made their way up her arm. "GET THEM OFF MEEEEEEEE!!! DAMN IT GET EM OFF!!!"  
  
Hiten pushed through the crowds, looking around wildly. Kagura was screaming. What was going on?! His eyes widened, then narrowed at the sight of the tarantulas... He knew those spiders damn it!  
  
Frowning, he picked the ones off Kagura and tossed them into his bag, using it as a temporary cage. He gathered up the rest of the spiders and zipped the backpack shut. Oh he was SO going to kill his little sister when he got home!  
  
"Are you okay?" Hiten asked, glancing over at a whimpering Kagura. Instead of saying 'thank you', like she should have done, she glared and snapped at him.  
  
"Get the heck away from me!"  
  
Hiten rolled his eyes and glared. God Kagura could be infuriating.  
  
"Dont roll your eyes at me! Just dont make any facial expressions at all, got it?!"[1] She snapped, stalking away.  
  
"Yeah, well screw you too!" Hiten growled, storming off to find his sister, give her a talking to, and then vent his frustration out in the gym. Why did the girl he like have to be so freakin bitchy?!  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru finally caught up to Rin, who was now leaning heavily against a wall, trying to calm down. She was near hyperventalating.  
  
"Rin? Whats wrong?" He asked softly, placing his hands on her shoulders.  
  
"I... I dont... dont like spiders... A-arachnaphobia... bad case of it... Plus... him... he... spider scar, on his back... reminds me... th-that day..." Rin took in a shuddery breath, unable to string a sentence together.  
  
"Shhh, its okay..." Sesshoumaru drew her to him, rubbing her back in soothing circles. Rin slowly calmed down and leaned against her love, sighing.  
  
"Sorry... I must have looked so stupid running off like that..."  
  
"No, its okay..."  
  
"We'd better get to class huh?..." Rin asked, giving him a small smile.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
So Sesshoumaru walked Rin to class and barely made it to his own class on time.  
  
~*~  
  
The week passed, and Friday arrived sooner than everyone thought it would. It was lunch time now, and the whole 'gang' were gathered underneath an oak tree, talking.  
  
"Kagura just wont leave me alone guys! I dont know what to do!" Sesshoumaru sighed, opening his vanilla pepsi.  
  
True enough, Kagura had been trying to get Sesshoumaru to have lunch with her every day for the past week. She was really starting to get on his nerves, that she was...  
  
"We'll think of something Sess." Bankotsu stated, biting into his sandwich. Jakotsu nodded.  
  
"We could always sic those two 8th graders on her again." Miroku shrugged one shoulder. Sess shook his head.  
  
"Nah, I dont want to get them in trouble."  
  
"Ah well..."  
  
"Hey, we're still going to that new club tonight, right guys?" Kouga asked, looking around at each of his friends.  
  
"Yeah, at 9. Then after the Shichinin-tai is done with their gig, we're all heading to Sess and Inu's place for the rest of the night." Miroku stated, hand snaking towards his girlfriend...  
  
SMACK!!!  
  
"Owww... Gomen Sango-chan..."  
  
"Hentai..."  
  
"When will he ever learn?" Ayame giggled, shaking her head.  
  
"I dunno. So far beating it out of him isnt working." Sango joked, laughing. Miroku rolled his eyes.  
  
"Ha ha."  
  
Kagura walked up just then and sat down beside Sesshoumaru, purposely shoving Rin to the side.  
  
"Hi Sessy-dear!"  
  
Golden eyes hardened as he looked at her. "Kagura."  
  
Rin was fuming. How dare that... that... that bitch just come up and shove her like that! And to sit beside HER boyfriend! THE NERVE!  
  
Glaring at the offending girl, Rin sat back down... in Sesshoumaru's lap. Kagura glared back, and Rin smirked. Sesshoumaru smirked also, putting his arms around Rin and gently pulling him towards her, so her back was pressed against his chest and she sat between his knees.  
  
Kagura growled softly at the woman sitting so close to the man SHE wanted. 'That whore!'  
  
'God... I hate her I hate her I hate.... her.... THATS IT!!' Sesshoumaru thought triumphantly as an idea struck. Were this some cheesy American cartoon, a lightbulb would have appeared over his head. He turned to Kagura.  
  
"Kagura, would you like to... come with us to the new club tonight? At 9?" He asked, the plan already forming in his mind. He could just see her reaction!  
  
Kagura brightened up. 'Oh yeah! He likes ME! Shes just his little whore! I knew it!' She almost giggled with happiness. "Of course Sessy-dear, I'd love to."  
  
Jakotsu glared and elbowed Sesshoumaru, hissing, "What do you think youre doing?!"  
  
He whispered back, "I'm going to get her off my back for good, okay?"  
  
"It'd better work..."  
  
"It will, trust me..."  
  
The others didnt look too happy about Sesshoumaru inviting Kagura to THEIR outing, which was supposed to be spent with friends and loved ones, not with a conniving psycho bitch! After Kagura left, Jakotsu explained that Sesshoumaru had a plan... No one seemed happy about it still though, especially Jakotsu, Bankotsu, and Rin.  
  
But Sess was sure this would get her off his back for good...  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru glanced at himself in the mirror one last time. He was wearing a pair of nice black pants and a silky dark blue button up, with the top two buttons undone; his hair was combed out and pulled into a ponytail. In all truth, he looked pretty damn hott.  
  
He walked out of the bathroom and glanced at the clock mounted in the hallway. 8:40 already?!  
  
"BAKA! HURRY UP! We gotta pick up the girls!" Inuyasha's car had broken down so he and Kagome were going to catch a ride with Sesshoumaru and Rin.  
  
"COMING FLUFFY!" Inuyasha yelled as he ran down the stairs, dressed in black pants and a red shirt, hair left down. "Ready to go Fluffy?" Sesshoumaru inwardly cringed at the nickname.   
  
"Baka no inu! If you call me that in front of Rin I swear I'll wring your neck like a sponge."   
  
"Aww! Is Fwuffy-wuffy afwaid to be embawassed in fwont of his giwlfwiend?" Inuyasha said in that annoying baby talk, snickering. Sesshoumaru gave his brother a warning growl and walked out the door. Inuyasha followed. The two got into Sesshoumaru's Jeep, and pulled out, heading to Arrow St. to pick up the girls.  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]Mage: I have decided to beeeeee...  
  
Ashura: DUN DUN DUNNNN!  
  
Mage: shut up I'm going to be Sango! ^__^ *does really bad special ed (crank yankers) impression* SANGO SANGO SANGO YAAAAAAAAAAY!  
  
Ashura: Oo;  
  
Mage: I'm just happy ^__^ Bradley was suspended for punching Matt yesterday (YAY BRAD!!! WOOHOO!!!) and hes back while Matt's suspended til Friday ^__^ He said the principal actually said Matt DESERVED it XD  
  
Ashura: oo; dude...  
  
Mage: Hmm... I wonder if I can get Brad-kun to be Miroku for halloween this year... It'd be neat if we could go trick-or-treating together XD Since this is my last year and all...  
  
Ashura: shut up...  
  
Mage: kay ^^  
  
[1]That is an actual quote from a girl who goes to my school, Meg. In AutoCAD one day, Zagar moved our seats and I had to sit by Meg so I guess I had rolled my eyes in frustration. She turns to me, glares, and says that exact sentence to me and I really did reply "Yeah, well screw you too." 


	23. Chapter 23

Sesshoumaru knocked on the Higurashi's front door, only to jump back a bit in surprise as it was flung open immediately. Souta was in his pajamas, bouncing up and down hyperly. Neither Sess nor Inuyasha missed the 6 or 7 vanilla pepsi cans littering the living room floor.  
"HI SESSHOU-NIISAMA! HI INU-ONIICHAN!" Souta shouted. "Rin-neesan and Kagome-neesan are still upstairs doing girly junk!" The young boy made a face at the thought of 'girly junk.  
Inuyasha chuckled as Souta dragged him and Sesshoumaru inside. "Well, we'll just wait for 'em"  
"Wanna play video games with me?" Souta asked, bouncing more. Curse all that caffiene.  
"Maybe some other time, kiddo." Sess said, ruffling the hyper child's hair. "We've got to pick up your sisters and leave"  
Souta pouted, arms crossed. "Oh okay"  
Inuyasha sat down on the couch, leaning back. "Get comfortable Sess, Kagome takes forEVER to get ready..." He muttered, looking over at his older brother.  
"I HEARD THAT!" A shrill, female voice yelled from upstairs. Inuyasha cringed.  
"Curse my big mouth"  
Sess chuckled and leaned against the wall, glancing anxiously at the stairs every now and then.  
10 minutes later, not a one of the boys had moved. Souta was having a staring contest with Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru was watching.  
Finally the 3rd grader blinked. "Ha! I win." Inuyasha said smugly, smirking. Souta sighed.  
"You want me to go force the girls out?" He asked, standing up.  
"Sure kiddo. We really need to be going." Sess stated, glancing at the wall clock.  
Souta disappeared into the closet under the stairs and emerged wearing a football helmet and holding a broom. The oldest male in the room arched an eyebrow, while Inuyasha fell off the couch laughing.  
"What?" Souta asked, narrowing his eyes. "Women are dangerous"  
"So true, so true..." Sess chuckled, shaking his head. Souta ran up the stairs and tenatively poked at Kagome's bedroom door with the broom stick. Turning the knob, he found that it was unlocked. So he swung the door open and stepped into the room cautiously, broom at ready.  
"Souta! You little brat! Get outta here!" Rin muttered as Kagome touched up her makeup for her. "Arigatou Kag-chan"  
"Youre welcome. Now, ya think we're ready?" Both girls glanced into the vanity mirror and nodded once in unison.  
"You'd better be ready! Inu-oniichan and Sesshou-niisama've been waiting for almost 15 minutes!" Souta herded his sisters out of the bedroom then, following them down the stairs.  
Rin giggled a little at the childish antics of her younger brother. He was so adorable sometimes!  
Two pairs of golden eyes widened in turn as their chosen women stepped gracefully down the stairs, Souta at their heels.  
"Wow..." Inuyasha breathed, as he looked at Kagome appreciatively. "Double wow..." Sesshoumaru couldnt take his eyes off Rin.  
Both girls were dressed for a night of partying, Kagome in green and Rin in white. (I just dont know how to describe it)  
Sess held out his arm to Rin as she stepped off the last step. "My lady." Giggling, she took it and he led her out the door. Kagome took her boyfriend's hand and they followed the other couple, getting into the backseat of the Jeep.  
"BYEEEE! DONT GET TOO DRUNK!" Souta yelled after them as they left, then went back to his consumption of caffiene.  
"So, Rin," Inuyasha started, leaning over the seat. "Have you heard Sesshoumaru's nickname yet?" An evil grin spread over his features. Sess tensed. He wouldnt!  
"Its Fluffy!" ...Oh, he would. Rin giggled behind her hand.  
"Fluffy"  
"Dont ask..." Sess mumbled, golden eyes narrowing.  
"When he was 6 he glued a whole bag of cotton stuffing to his shoulder and called himself a demon lord, like in those stories our father used to tell us when he was around." Inuyasha could barely talk he was laughing so hard. "He really just looked like a giant dust bunny though"  
Sess growled softly as he heard Kagome erupt into hysterical laughter. Rin bit her bottom lip, trying her hardest not to giggle and embarass her boyfriend further.  
"Yes, well... Inuyasha once went through a phase where he thought he was a dog and would only eat canned food from a dish on the ground. If my memory is correct, he also did tricks for dog biscuits." Sesshoumaru's mouth curved into a smirk, an evil gleam in his golden eyes. It was Inuyasha's turn to growl now.  
Rin let a giggle escape and Kagome shrieked with laughter. "How old was he when he did that?" The older Higurashi managed to ask.  
"10." Sesshoumaru smirked as Inuyasha's growling increased in volume. Rin finally couldnt hold it back any longer; she doubled over with laughter.  
"So we've got Fluffy and Koinu-inu"  
"Ha! Fluffy..." Kagome began poking Sess in the back of his head, chanting 'Fluffy' repeatedly.  
The rest of the drive was spent like that. Just when Sess was about to throw Kagome out on the curb and leave her there, the Jeep reached it's destination. He pulled into the parking lot and got out, muttering about a 'stupid wench'. Kagome narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "Jerk"  
"Guys! OI!" A grinning Jakotsu ran up then, waving. His boyfriend chased after him.  
"Its about time you got here!" Bankotsu shouted. "Now we just have to wait for Sango and Miroku. Kouga, Ayame, Ginta, and Hakkaku are already inside"  
"Is Kagura here?" Sess asked coolly.  
"Unfortunately"  
So the group headed inside. Inside the night club, music blared from speakers and the floor was crowded with dancing teenagers and college students, while colored lights flashed over head.  
Rin briefly spotted Kouga and Ayame among the crowd, dancing wildly. Ginta and Hakkaku had saved a table in the back and were currently chugging alchoholic drinks.  
Jakotsu, Bankotsu, Sesshoumaru, and Rin joined the two at the table while Kagome and Inuyasha went to order drinks.  
"Ya know, that stuff's gonna kill you..." Jakotsu stated, meaning the alchohol.  
"No it wont! Lighten up Jakotsu!" Ginta said, already half-way drunk. Jakotsu just rolled his eyes.  
"Well, Ja-chan and I have to go help the band get ready. We're on in 10." Bankotsu stated, taking Jakotsu's hand and leading him to the stage, pushing his way through throngs of people.  
"So," Sess turned to Rin, who was sitting beside him. "I'll go get some drinks... Sound good"  
"Yeah." She smiled and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. Sesshoumaru placed his hand on her cheek, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. When they finally broke the kiss for air, Rin smiled, cheeks flushed, slightly breathless.  
'She's so gorgeous... I must be the luckiest man alive...' He thought, giving Rin a shorter, chaste kiss and heading up to the bar. (AN: Lets just say they let 18 year olds buy alchohol... shrug)  
Sess ordered drinks for himself and Rin, then took them back to the table and sat down, pulling his chosen into his lap. She giggled softly and made herself comfortable, picking up her glass and taking a drink.  
Meanwhile, backstage.  
"Oi! Bankotsu! Jakotsu!" Suikotsu jogged up to the younger boys as they walked back. "Its about time you got here! We're on in 5! What song are we singing first again"  
"Nerves?" Jakotsu asked, smiling. They had gone over their routine over and over the past week, but Suikotsu got nervous often and forgot things.  
"Yeah..." The 19 year old grinned sheepishly.  
"First is Release the Demons, then Sess is coming up to carry out Operation Kagura-Away." He giggled at the name of the plan.  
Suikotsu laughed, shaking his head. "That sounds like some sort of bug-spray dude! Kagura-Away..." This got Bankotsu laughing, then the rest of the band.  
Alas, the good times were interrupted when the manager of the club looked in. "Youre on boys"  
"Hai! " Jakotsu chirped happily. Damn was he excited! Their first real gig! Jakotsu, Bankotsu, Suikotsu, Renkotsu, Kyokotsu, Mukotsu, and Ginkotsu took their places on stage.  
"And heres the Shichinin-Tai!" The club manager yelled into the mic, then promptly left. Jakotsu stepped up to the mic and adjusted it, then the rest of the band began to play.  
"What do you see when youre in the dark... When the demons come for you..." Bankotsu started, speaking in a low, almost creepy tone. Then Jakotsu began singing.  
Down on the dance floor, just about everyone was moving, enjoying the music. By now, Ginta was definately drunk. Good thing Hakkaku had decided to be the designated driver.  
It was just then, about half-way through the song, that Sango and Miroku arrived, pushing through the crowds to where Sesshoumaru and Rin still sat.  
"AW DAMN IT! I hate your car Miroku!" Sango crossed her arms and pouted. "We missed most of the first song! It was a good one too damn it"  
Miroku sighed and put his arm around her shoulders. "I know, I know... I need to get a car of my own one of these days"  
"Hi Sango-chan, Miroku!" Rin set her empty glass down on the table, then leaned back with her back against Sesshoumaru's chest.  
"Hey, sorry we're late... Miroku's parents' junk heap of a car broke down." Sango muttered. "We finally got a lift from the tow-truck guy and I SWEAR HE WAS STARING AT ME!" She shivered at the mere memory.  
Miroku growled slightly. "I noticed... Jerk... I should have kicked his ass"  
"That you should have, Miroku." Sess stated, tightening his hold on Rin unconsiously. If he and Rin had been in that situation, Sess knew he would have kicked the guy's ass and put him into the hospital.  
"Hi Sessy-dear!" Kagura appeared out of the crowd and took the seat across from the silver-haired teenager. "I had a hard time finding you! There are a lot of people in here tonight"  
"Yeah..." Sess would at least just make polite conversation with Kagura now... She sure as hell wouldnt bug him after tonight... He could feel Rin tense a bit and hoped she wouldnt hate him for being... fairly nice... to the other girl.  
'What is he doing? I thought he hated Kagura!' Rin thought to herself, in confusion. Sesshoumaru had said he had a plan, he just wouldnt tell anyone but Jakotsu and Bankotsu what it was.  
'I'll win him over tonight...' Kagura thought, crimson eyes gleaming with malice. 'He'll dump Rin and get with me... I mean, how can ANY guy resist me'  
"Well, I have something to do. If you'll excuse me ladies." Sess said, then made his way up to the stage.  
"Hey Sess! You ready?" Jakotsu asked his friend, just loud enough so he and the rest of the band members could hear.  
Sess nodded and Bankotsu stepped up to the mic. "Hey everyone! This is Sesshoumaru and he's going to be singing the next song in Jakotsu's place!" The band leader stepped back and got ready.  
Sess adjusted the mic to his height and spoke. "I'd like to dedicate this song to my... friend, Kagura." 


	24. Chapter 24

"I'd like to dedicate this song to my... friend, Kagura." Sesshoumaru's friends, other than the band, gaped.  
'Nani! What's he doing! What the hell is going on!' Rin thought wildly. Was Sesshoumaru dumping her for Kagura or something?  
"The hell!" Sango stared in shock, then her eyes narrowed. "I swear if he hurts Rin-chan's feelings, I'll"  
"Calm down Sango, I'm sure he's got a reason for all this..." Miroku leaned his head on her shoulder, for once not trying anything perverted.  
'Hes... going to sing a song... for me!' Kagura thought in glee, almost jumping up and down with happiness. 'I knew he'd ditch that Rin chick! I'm so much prettier than she is, he made the right choice'  
The prep was grinning from ear-to-ear practically.  
Kagome glared up at the stage and growled. "If he breaks Rin-chan's heart I'll rip out his throat with my bare hands"  
"Easy Kagome, I'm sure Sess means well." Inuyasha said, though he was just as confused.  
"What the hell is dog-boy doing!" Kouga blinked, arm around Ayame.  
"Hell if I know." She shrugged.  
Sess took a deep, calming breath as the band began the next song. He was kinda nervous about performing in front of all these people... Finally, it was his cue and he began to sing.  
Rin's eyes were wide and she could barely contain her giggles. Finally that prep got what she deserved: to be humiliated and put down, for all the trouble she had caused.  
Kagura was nearly crying by the end of the song. 'He really... hates me... No, he cant... Th-they must have dared him or something...' "Sesshoumaruuu!" She cried pathetically, running up to the stage. "Why'd you do that! I thought you liked meeeee"  
"Obviously he doesnt." A voice said coolly. Behind Kagura stood a tall girl with brown-blonde hair. "I mean, that song pretty much said it all"  
Rin shoved through the crowd, making her way to where Sess, Kagura and the other girl stood. "Oh, hey Naoko!" She shouted, waving.  
"Hi Rin-chan!" Naoko waved back, then turned to the prep. "Anyway, Kagura, I think its pretty damn obvious that Sess doesnt like you in that way"  
Sesshoumaru nodded his agreement. Then another girl jogged up to the small group, laughing. "Hey! That was hilarious dude!" She said to Sess, raising her voice so he could hear over the clamor of the crowd. She had short black hair with red highlights and big dark brown eyes behind stylish glasses.  
"Uh, thanks... Have we met"  
"No, not really. I'm Liz"  
"Sesshoumaru, and thats Rin"  
"Oh, we know who you are Sess! Everyone does!" Naoko giggled. "Youre just the hottest guy in school, ya know"  
He blushed, though VERY slightly. Kagura glared, hands on her hips. "Ahem"  
"Oh yeah... SESS DOESNT LIKE YOU GOD DAMN IT!" Liz pointed at Kagura, flicking her nose. "So stop being a bitch and leave him alone"  
"Yeah!" Naoko added. "You two wouldnt make a cute couple anyway, not like Sesshoumaru and Rin!" A sigh. "They're so much cuter together than me and my stupid boyfriend"  
Rin blushed a bit at Naoko's first comment.  
"Hai! They are a cute couple! And so are those two!" Liz pointed over at Jakotsu and Bankotsu, who were taking a makeout break in a corner table. Naoko giggled and turned back to Sess, Rin and an upset Kagura.  
"Anyway! You two HAVE to invite me to your wedding!" Naoko hugged both Sess and Rin in a friendly way, as did Liz. "Seeya Sess, Rin!" They both disappeared into the crowd, talking about some site called Kagura, tears pricking at her eyes, stormed out the doors, not very much liking being humiliated, then ignored.  
A certain dark-haired, braided bish-boy caught her at the exit, gently holding her by her shoulders. "Kagura... Whats wrong?..." Hiten asked, seeing the tears that made her crimson eyes shine with color.  
"Sesshoumaru... he really does hate me... I'll never have a chance with him..." Tears made trails down her cheeks, making her mascara run in two black rivers, contrasting greatly with her pale skin.  
"So what?" He asked in a soft voice. "Sesshoumaru Iizuki's a stupid jerk... He has to be, if he'd pass up someone like you... Sure, you act kinda bitchy sometimes, but I know you have a good heart inside"  
"Hi-Hiten..." Kagura whispered, more tears threatening to spill. He was... trying to comfort her... Now that she thought about it, Hiten always had dropped hints that he liked her... She had just ignored them though, her sights set on Sesshoumaru.  
"Kagura..." He gently tilted her chin so she would look him directly in the eyes. "I know you have a good heart in there; let it show... Onegai"  
"Hiten..." She smiled through her tears. "Hai"  
Wanting nothing more than this moment, Hiten drew the crying woman to his chest and held her, rocking slightly from side to side.  
"Shh... Dont cry... Its okay"  
Both Sesshoumaru and Rin watched a heartbroken and furious Kagura run out the door in tears. Rin sighed. 'She's really taking this badly... But I guess I would too, if I were in her position'  
Sess stepped off the stage, standing by Rin. "I think I might have been a little too harsh... You think so"  
"Yeah, maybe... I think you should go apologize..." Rin stated, sighing agian. Sesshoumaru nodded, and dashed off in the direction Kagura went.  
At the exit, he was met with the sight of Hiten holding Kagura, and smiled inwardly. They would make a cute couple, even if Hiten WAS a freakin jerk.  
"Oi, Kagura..." He said to get her attention. She turned and glared at him, as did Hiten.  
"What do you want now? To humiliate her more?" Hiten asked bitterly. "You jerk"  
"Okay, maybe I went a little too far... Kagura, I'm sorry. But you just... wouldnt take a hint! I love Rin, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her, but you just wouldnt accept that..." A sigh. "I'm really, really sorry I had to do that"  
Her glare softened. "Apology accepted... And I hope you can forgive me... I was just so... caught up in trying to get you that... I didnt really think... and I'm sorry for what I did to Jakotsu and Bankotsu... But believe me, I've changed! I'm not going to be like that anymore"  
Sess smiled a bit. "Friends then?" He held out his hand, and she took it, shaking it.  
"Friends." She giggled. "I should thank you actually... If you hadnt brought me back to reality, I never would have noticed that there was already someone who liked me..." She looked up into Hiten's eyes, and he smiled softly at her.  
"I'd better go back inside then, gotta get back to Rin. Ja, Kagura"  
"Ja, Sesshoumaru"  
He ran back in and immediately swept Rin onto the dance floor as the Shichinin-tai started their last song of the night, Make Me Believe.2  
"Make me believe... I'm breakin my own vows, knowin I'll go down in flames..." Jakotsu sang, smiling as he remembered the first time he ever sang this. He had just been singing to himself at lunch one day, towards the beginning of the year, and that was how Bankotsu had first actually noticed him and recruited him for the band.  
So, to Jakotsu, this song was special. It always would be.  
Bankotsu sighed with happiness as the song ended. He always loved this song, and never got tired of hearing Jakotsu sing it. Looking out over the crowd, he surveyed the actions of his friends. Miroku and Sango were arguing playfully over something, Sesshoumaru and Rin were out on the dance floor, as was Kagome and Inuyasha. Kouga and Ayame were finishing off a couple of drinks, and Hakkaku had already left with a drunken Ginta.  
And towards the back, he could see Kagura with Hiten.  
'A jerk with a bitch...' He laughed to himself.  
It was about 11:30 now. Kyokotsu, Ginkotsu, and Mukotsu were carrying their equipment out to the waiting van, while Renkotsu supervised. Suikotsu was at the bar, flirting with some goth chick he picked up. She was laughing as he jokingly argued with himself.  
The rest of the group had all gone outside to escape the noise and crowds. Bankotsu and Jakotsu joined them, hand-in-hand.  
"You guys were great!" Sango said enthusiastically.  
"Agreed." Kouga nodded, as did Ayame. "I still think you guys should make a CD!" Rin smiled at the two.  
"Dont forget us little people when you're all rock stars." Kagome laughed out. Jakotsu laughed a bit and got a dramatically joyous face.  
"I'd like to thank all those who made this possible!" He held a pretend award in his hands.  
"You weirdo." Bankotsu chuckled, shaking his head and putting an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders.  
"Well, we're going to go." Kouga stated, leading Ayame to his car and getting in.  
"What about the sleepover?" Inuyasha asked, though he didnt really care if Kouga came or not.  
"We've had a change in plans." Ayame stated, getting in on the passengers side. Kouga nodded and pulled out, with a "Ja, you guys"  
"Oh well, no big loss!" Inuyasha grinned happily. He and Kouga just didnt get along... Never had, probably never will.  
"Well, lets go." Miroku said, slipping an arm around Sango's waist.  
"Go any lower, Monk, and you'll regret it." Sango growled, using Miroku's old nickname. Back in 4th grade, Miroku had wanted to grow up to be a Buddhist monk, hence the nickname.  
"Dont call me Monk!" Miroku's eyes narrowed into a playful glare. "Or I'll call you Snookie"  
Sango growled. "Dont you dare Monk"  
"Oh, I dare Snookie"  
"MONK"  
"Snookie"  
"YOU ARE SO INFURIATING!" Sango stomped her foot childishly, arms crossed and glaring.  
"I love you too Snookie! ."  
SMACK!  
"Owwww"  
By now, the other three couples had erupted into laughter. It was always funny watching Sango and Miroku.  
"So, shall we head back to Sess and Inu's?" Bankotsu asked, still chuckling a bit.  
"Hai, hai. C'mon... Fluffy..." Rin gave Sesshoumaru a playful grin as she took his arm and walked to his Jeep.  
"I really need to think of an embarassing nickname for you..." Sess's eyes narrowed, though the golden orbs sparkled with mischief. Rin giggled and got in on the passengers seat.  
Inuyasha had gone into fresh fits of laughter at hearing Rin call Sesshoumaru, 'Fluffy'. "Fluffy..." He gasped out, unable to stop laughing.  
"C'mon, Koinu-inu." Kagome shook her head and she and Inuyasha got into the back seat of the Jeep.  
"Dont call me puppy..." Inuyasha muttered.  
"HA! Puppy-dog and Fluffy... This would make some damn good blackmail!" Jakotsu giggled, getting into Bankotsu's vehicle. Bankotsu got in on the drivers side. Sango and Miroku rode with Jakotsu and Bankotsu, and the teenagers pulled out one by one.  
1I Fin Hate You - Godsmack 


	25. Chapter 25

[AN]This chapter... doesnt have much of a purpose, I'm telling you know... Its basically the 'calm before the storm' if you will, because the story's almost over...  
  
Ashura: Yeah yeah, whatever. Reveiw responses!  
  
Trowa: Yes, type woman!  
  
Mage: demanding muses o.o;;; Oh, and a lot of people said sess was very mean last chapter... Ya he was ;;  
  
Sess: Only cuz you made me ;;;  
  
Mage: Now how could *I*, a mere mortal, make YOU demon lord of the west, do something? *looks innocent*  
  
Sess: *looks out at reviewers with big sad OOC eyes* She bribed me with pocky and fluffy moments with Rin! ;~;  
  
Mage: Eheh... on to other matters...  
  
~~Review Responses~~  
  
Shinnyu Kudzu: XD I honestly wouldnt know! I dont watch sitcoms... Heh... Oo;;; um... you can call me Jade ^^; Cuz dats meh name! (Ashura: Yes, Cloey/Cloe is her ditzy blonde friend...) THATS NOT NICE ASHY-CHAN! ; *whacks* Oo; Heh... Mwee ^^  
  
evil squeede: Yepyep there is ^^ and Yay for Shippo/Souten! *dance*  
  
Katie: Eheh... *blushes* I feel so stupid... (Ashura: Forgive her Oo; she was high on nyquil at the time... she gets these colds rather often you see...) Yes... Nyquil is EVIL! EVIL I TELLS YOU EVIL!  
  
Lunar Mirror: Yes, reality check Kagura-baka needed Oo; Eh, no one's gonna maim ya for that... I like hearing about my readers having mixed feelings for the characters XD means i'm doing a good job...  
  
Rain67: Youre damn right I'm a bitch!   
  
Beautiful  
  
Intelligent  
  
Tenacious (sticking with my own point of view...)  
  
Confident  
  
Hell's worst nightmare  
  
= bitch XD XD XD *raises eyebrow* youre going to let someone ELSE beat me up? Pathetic... and no i'm not writing a lemon x_x  
  
Aamalie: I honestly dont know where it came from XD and yesh he is ^^  
  
Smiley-chan: Nope, not the end ^^ Not just yet anyway... And I've got that one-shot typed and saved in my fic folder, but I kinda got off the subject and turned it into Yami Bakura's Hellish Day at the YMCA XD Its an inu crossovery fic too XD I dunno if i wanna post it...  
  
Cricket-chan: Dude! Oo; How cruel... Your english teacher must be in leage with my algebra teacher ;;; Theyre planning something... ASHURA! PLOT MRS. WILLIAM'S DEMISE! (Ashura: *rolls eyes*) And really? EW! One time the sewage pipes out by the woodshop burst or something and it stank in there for a few days e.e;;; I had to have CAD in there damn it! Its hard to concentrate on drawings when the room stinks like that...  
  
hush: duuuuude Oo; the crow? never heard of it... Brandon Lee? never heard of him either... XD I dont get out much, as you can tell...  
  
Rurouni-ing girl: Yay for Sess/Rin! ^__^ Inu/Kag is cool and all, but most ideas with that pairing are overdone and ya see a whole lot of inu/kags... so thats why I like my not-so-common Sess/Rins and Ja/Bans ^^; Anyway, glad ya like it!  
  
ladyofthedragons1: XD XD XD heh... i doubt inu and sesshy's parents would let them have a boy girl sleepover either, but they're out of town! XD hehe...   
  
Liz.Q: ^^; I'm glad you liked it!   
  
Sakie: She isnt exactly changing in a few minutes, she's saying she's going to change I guess... Heh, and its not the first B/J fanfic, but there ARE very very few out there...  
  
Naoko2: Yush! ^^ Yush, such a fun word XD Anyway, glad you liked how I wrote you in. I was kinda afraid I'd make you totally OOC or something ^^"  
  
Cookie6: ^^; Ya, it was kinda cute... Like a fucked up 70s sitcom couple, to quote Shinnyu Kudzu-sama XD XD XD Mwee...  
  
SuperBuu: Duuude! Neato Oo; Anyway, we've only got the pattern and material for my costume. (i'm doing her kimono, its prittyful! that and I dont like skin-tight stuff Oo) We're working on my brother's Inuyasha costume first, since its going to be easier. I GET TO MAKE HIS DOGGY EARS! =D Dude, really? I'm the only girl other than my mom in my family Oo; 2 brothers and a half-brother that disappeared off the face of the planet with his girlfriend Zabrina (yes, Zabrina X_X weird name) Heheh...  
  
Dragon of Sea: ^^ Thanks... and Shippo and Souten are going to do something in the last chapter, but thats about it... I AM writing a Shippo/Souten centric fic right now though!  
  
Wakadori Ramen: Hey i liked the lyrics XD Godsmack roxxors... Yush, now dey be on speaking termses at least ^^  
  
And thanks to everyone else who reviewed:  
  
windxlove  
  
pensquared  
  
kuroi raishu  
  
milacute04  
  
Tigerose08  
  
Charmed Angel  
  
dangerous-beans  
  
monkeybaby7  
  
Demonlady1  
  
dark n light  
  
LewsTherinInsanity  
  
===============================================  
  
Eight teenagers sat around the den at the Iizuki household, discussing what to do first. Bags had been retrieved from houses, and now lay scattered in the entrance way. The girls had changed into pajamas; Rin in a pair of shorts and a baggy t-shirt, Kagome in shorts and a tank top, and Sango in a baggy t-shirt and pajama pants.  
  
"What are we going to do? We cant sit around here talking about it all night." Rin stated, letting out an exasperated sigh.   
  
"Yeah, didnt you and Miroku have any ideas in mind?" Bankotsu asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Um... no?" Inuyasha grinned sheepishly. Jakotsu and Sango rolled their eyes. Kagome sighed.  
  
"Inuyasha... OSUWARI!" With that, the elder Higurashi sister whacked the younger Iizuki brother over the head, sending him crashing face-first into the floor.  
  
Miroku blinked. "Where did THAT come from?"  
  
"I dont know, honestly ^^" Kagome sweatdropped and giggled.  
  
"Anyway, who's up for Truth or Dare?" Jakotsu asked, smirking evilly. He was good at this game and everyone knew it...  
  
"Sure, why not?" ...Except his own boyfriend, sadly...  
  
"Okay! Yay!" Jakotsu grinned. "Hmm... Sango, truth or dare?"  
  
"Dare I guess." Sango stared at him, blinking. What was he up to?  
  
"I dare you to not hit Miroku for the rest of the night!" Jakotsu leaned back against the couch, laughing.  
  
"But...!"  
  
"No buts ^^"  
  
"Damn it..." Sango crossed her arms. Miroku grinned. No headaches tonight, and he could do whatever he wanted! Slowly, his hand reached out... Another inch... Another... Almost there... Almost there... YES!  
  
*SLAM!!*  
  
"Owwww!"  
  
"Sango!" Jakotsu's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Hey, you didnt say I couldnt kick him..." Sango shrugged. Sure enough, she had kicked Miroku right into the wall. "Anyway, Inuyasha, truth or dare?"  
  
"Truth." The poor guy didnt want Sango to take her anger out on him, and I dont blame him...  
  
Sango smirked. "Do you still play with YuGiOh cards?"  
  
"They're DUEL MONSTER cards. " Inuyasha muttered. "And yes I do..."  
  
"You DO know those things are for little kids, dont you?" Sesshoumaru asked, eyebrow raised. (Mage: ; They are not! *huggles cards*)  
  
"Are not! " Inuyasha then withdrew his precious Bad Reaction to Simochi and three Rain of Mercy cards and huggled them. (Mage: HEY! MY COMBO! *glares*) "My precious combo... Mine, my own... My precioussssss..."  
  
"Okay, Inu, youre seriously freaking me out now..." Rin blinked.  
  
Inu grinned sheepishly and put away his precious, though cheap and common cards. "Okay, Rin, truth or dare?"  
  
"Um... Dare."  
  
"I dare you to call up Sugoroku Mutou, down at the Kame Game Store, and tell him how much you love him!" Inuyasha snickered. Mr. Mutou was a dirty old man, and no one really liked him (other than his grandson Yugi, and Yugi's friends).  
  
"What?! No!!" Rin stared, wide eyed. There was NO WAY she was going to do that!  
  
"Damn it Inuyasha! Give her another dare!" Sesshoumaru glowered at his younger sibling, his arm draped loosely around Rin's shoulders. "Thats just WRONG!"  
  
"No, she has to do it or she's out of the game!"  
  
"Then I'm out of the game. There is NO WAY i'm doing that!" Rin shivered in disgust.  
  
"Feh, you're no fun..."  
  
"Seriously Inuyasha, that was kinda mean..." Kagome said.  
  
"And Truth or dare is supposed to be nice? --"  
  
"Good point..."  
  
"Anyway, Jakotsu then. Truth or dare?"  
  
"Dare!"  
  
"Um... uh... hm... I dare you to prank call Kaiba!"  
  
"Seto Kaiba?" Jakotsu asked. "The millionaire?"  
  
"Yeah, dumbass!"  
  
Bankotsu growled at this. Jakotsu grinned. "Okay! I'll do it!"  
  
Miroku handed him the phone and Jakotsu dialed the teenage CEO of Kaiba Corp's number.  
  
~*~  
  
"Hello? Seto Kaiba." Seto said into the reciever. Who the HELL would be calling him so late?  
  
"Hello! Can I help you?" Jakotsu covered the end of the phone at Sessy's to hide his snickering.  
  
"Youre the one who called me freak. --"  
  
"You've reached the Funny Farm! I. R. Lunatic speaking!"  
  
"The HELL?!"  
  
"When can we book your reservation? Would you like a padded room in white or off-white? Are you allergic to watermelons?"  
  
"What are you talking about?!"  
  
"Am I driving you crazy? Crazy? I was crazy once. They stuck a chicken in my padded room. Chickens drive me crazy. Crazy? I was crazy once! A car honked at me! Cars drive me crazy. Crazy? I was crazy once!"  
  
"Obviously youre STILL crazy then! Freakin nut job..."  
  
"What would you like on your pizza? Anchovies or no?"  
  
"I DIDNT ORDER A PIZZA!"  
  
"Yes you did!" By now, the group had the speaker phone on and were quietly laughing their asses off.  
  
"NO I DIDNT!"  
  
"Yes you did!"  
  
"NO I DIDNT!"  
  
"Yes you did!"  
  
"NO I DIDNT!"  
  
"Yes you did!"  
  
"NO I DIDNT!"  
  
"No you didnt!"  
  
"YES I DID!"  
  
"What would you like on it? ^^"  
  
"DOH!" Seto slapped his forehead. How had he been so stupid as to fall for THAT?! And just WHO was this nut job that called him?! Of course, he may be the CEO of his own multi million dollar company, but of course he wasnt smart enough to check his caller ID... Go figure...  
  
"Psychosomatic!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
Jakotsu's face scrunched up with silent laughter, and his voice took on a creepy tone. "What kind of horror movies do you like?"  
  
"DONT CALL ME AGAIN YOU WEIRDO!" SLAM! The CEO slammed the reciever back down and ran up to his bedroom, officially freaked out.  
  
~*~  
  
Bankotsu was turning blue from lack of oxygen. He just couldnt stop laughing!  
  
"Dear god... Jakotsu..." Rin giggled. "That was hilarious!"  
  
"Thank you, thank you." Said master-prank-caller grinned. "Sess, truth or dare?"  
  
"Um... Truth."  
  
Jakotsu giggled. "What did you dream about last night?"  
  
Sesshoumaru's face immediately tinted red and he muttered something.  
  
"What was that? We cant hear you."  
  
"Rin, okay?! God..."   
  
Rin giggled and kissed him on the cheek. "Youre so sweet..."  
  
"Oi! Look what I found!" Miroku shouted from the kitchen, holding up a bag of chex mix. "I love this stuff!" He poured it into a huge glass bowl and brought it back to the circle with him.  
  
"Oh! Chex mix!" Sango grinned, snatching the bowl and began picking out the bagel chips and the rye chips, eating them happily. Miroku sweatdropped.  
  
"Damn it... I like the little brown things..." He pouted, arms crossed.  
  
"Tough. Be a man and deal with it."  
  
It was just about then that Bankotsu decided to show his rarely seen goofy side. He snatched a square pretzel out of the bowl and set it on the tip of his nose, on its side. Not moving his head an inch, he let go of the pretzel and it stayed.  
  
Kagome giggled. "Well thats interesting!"  
  
But Bankotsu wasnt done showing off yet. He tossed his head, causing the pretzel to fly up into the air. He caught it in his mouth.  
  
"My one and only odd talent." A round of cheers and applause erupted throughout the room... Until Jakotsu threw a bread twist at Bankotsu.  
  
"Oh youre askin' for it now!" He grinned mischeiviously and tossed a pretzel right back at his boyfriend.  
  
Pretty soon, it was an all out chex mix war. Chex flew through the air over the 'battlefield', hitting the other teenagers and other things. A couple pretzels landed in the fishbowl even.  
  
Rin doubled over with laughter in the safe spot behind the couch, clutching a handful of chex mix. Sess joined her, his hands full of the stuff also.  
  
"On three?" He asked, peeking over the top of the couch. Rin crept up behind him and dumped her handful right over his head.  
  
"Gotcha!" She shouted, giggling.  
  
"Oh you are so going to get it!" He grinned playfully.  
  
"Catch me if you can Fluffy!" Still giggling, she ran out of the living room and out into the back yard.   
  
"You can run, but you cant hide from me Rinrin!" Sess gave her a bit of a head start, then gave chase, a couple square pretzels still stuck in the fine, silvery strands of his hair.  
  
Mischevious golden eyes glanced over the vast backyard and its many small gardens and flowerbeds. He sighed mentally, noticing the gardens hadnt been taken care of in quite some time. They had been planted for his mother years ago, before he was even born. The once-beautiful plants and flowers had been neglected after his mother died and Inutaisho remarried to Mitsuko. 'Hm... Maybe Rin would like to help me tidy the gardens up this spring...'  
  
Thinking of Rin... Where had she gone?  
  
His keen sense of eyesight picked up on Rin, climbing into an old oak tree. In an instant, he was right there, on the ground behind her, waiting expectantly.  
  
He waited until she had gotten onto a branch a few feet above him. "Boo!"  
  
"KYAAAA!" She tumbled backwards off the branch and right into Sesshoumaru's waiting arms. He smiled, an eyebrow cocked, and sprinkled chex mix over her. "Hey, no fair!" She protested, giggling.  
  
"You know what they say," He looked smug. "All's fair in love and chex mix."  
  
"And just who says that?"  
  
"Dont know, but they should." This got Rin giggling more. Sess picked her up bridal style and leaped into the tree, sitting on a sturdy branch with Rin in his lap.  
  
The two sat there for a while, listening to all the commotion coming from the house. Obviously the chex mix war was still going full throttle.  
  
"Hey Sess..."  
  
"Hmm?" He rested his chin on the top of her head softly.  
  
"I... think I'm ready to tell the police... tomorrow?..." She sighed softly. Rin knew it would be hard for her, but she had to do it. The murderer was still loose...  
  
Sess smiled softly. "Okay, tomorrow... I'll go with you..."  
  
"Thank you..."  
  
"Anything for you..."  
  
~*~  
  
Just as Sesshoumaru was about to nod off where he sat in the old tree, Rin in his lap, it began to sprinkle. He blinked and his nose twitched as a droplet of water hit it. Rin's head turned and she giggled at his comical expression: cross-eyed with a twitching nose.  
  
"Whats so funny?" He asked, blinking to set his vision straight.  
  
"You, silly! Youre such a dork..." She said fondly, smiling and kissing him on the cheek.  
  
He laughed a bit. "We should go inside before we get soaked, ne?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
And so, with Rin in his arms, he leapt from the boughs of the old tree and ran inside, carrying her bridal style; both were laughing. Setting her down in the den, he glanced at the sleeping bodies sprawled on various pieces of furniture and on the floor, which was still covered with chex mix. The television screen showed a bright blue color, indicating that they had watched some sort of movie while Sesshoumaru and Rin sat outside together.  
  
Sess shoved Inuyasha out of the plush armchair, and to his surprise and amusement, his younger brother remained asleep. "Geez, he sleeps like a rock..." Rin giggled and nodded in agreement.  
  
Crawling into the chair, he yanked a throw blanket off the couch, which was stationed next to the chair, and draped it over himself. Rin joined him under the blanket, snuggling up to his warmth.  
  
"Night Fluffy..." Rin yawned and her honey-brown eyes closed in peaceful sleep.  
  
"Night Rinrin..." He whispered, planting a soft kiss on her forehead before closing his own golden eyes. Sesshoumaru found it hard to sleep though. Something gnawed incessantly at the back of his mind. Deep inside his soul was a sense of dread of things to come. That little nagging feeling, he felt, had something to do with Rin.  
  
'No... Nothing bad is going to happen to Rin... She's right here in my arms... I'd know if something happened...  
  
Fine, dont believe me.  
  
Shut up you! I wouldnt let anything bad happen to her!  
  
You shut up idiot! You're the one yelling at yourself!'  
  
He inwardly groaned. "I really gotta start getting decaf..." He muttered softly to himself, before drifting off to sleep finally.  
  
Little did he know, a pair of crimson eyes watched the two that night as they lay down to sleep. A dark figure waited patiently on the roof, hidden in the shadows of the nearly-moonless night. 'She wont get away again, the little wench...'  
  
"Dont close your eyes little Rin..." The malicious voice whispered to the night sky. "Your precious Sessy wont save you this time..." It's thin lips curved into a smirk, one full of evil and hatred. "For, you see... Once you become my victim, death is inevitable..."  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]And now we get into what's left of the plot! ^^ Yay! Sadly, there are only 3 chapters after this one though before it ends... But I have the rest pre-written and will be posting every day again.   
  
I know I stopped doing recommended reading, but there's a fic you have just GOT to read! It is SO hilarious and cute!  
  
~~Love or Money - by Liz.Q - Story ID 1543485 - Featuring Rin as a wannabe bounty hunter, and Sess as a man with a huge bounty on his head! Also features Kagura as Rin's rival! YAY! ^__^ 


	26. Chapter 26

[AN]Hi-loooo alllll! *dancedance* Mage is here with another chapter! Mwaha!  
  
Ashura, Trowa: *unenthusiastically* Yay...  
  
Mage: Why are all my muses such bakas? --;;;  
  
Trowa: *raises hand* Technically I'm not a muse. ///.^  
  
Mage: I should get Ai to kick all your asses ;;; (Ai= My YuGiOh OC, a scareh Fillia-lookalike with a HUGE spiked mace o.o; She mauls girlscouts... Kinda ironic her name means 'love' ne?)  
  
Ashura, Trowa: *cower at the mentioning of Ai's name Oo*  
  
Ai: *randomly appears with her mace* Review responses. Now.  
  
Mage: O.O Yes Ai-sama!  
  
~~Review Responses~~  
  
Aamalie: I do that? Oo; Hn... Never noticed... Heh ^^ Um... I dont exactly know how they got Kaiba's number Oo; blame... um... Ashura! XD (Ashura: )  
  
Liz.Q: Hehehehehe... Cliffies bad... I didnt realize i put one up XD and yes, Kaiba's very fun to torture! XD  
  
SuperBuu: ^^; Ya, I kinda like action figures too... The YuGiOh ones are neato! ^__^ *huggles Celtic Guardian figure* And my brother has a whole box full of DBZ figures... I am? really? ^^ yay!  
  
Shinnyu Kudzu: Agreed! Cross-dressing Naraku is scareh o.o; heh, amanda show? I dont think I've seen that... I got the idea of making Jakotsu crank call someone from Crank Yankers XD Only I made it a clean call... XD XD Hehe... Vocabulary is pretty much the only good thing that comes from english... (Ashura: ^___^ *kisses back and wavewaves* Luv ya too Akarou!) Oo;;; boy-muses... go figure... {Kakeru: *storms in* Were you kissing another guy Ashura-sama?!} (Ashura: Um... no? ^^) {Kakeru: okay! ^__^} *snickers* Good thing Kakeru's dumb, huh? XD  
  
Naoko2: inu-gollum XD hehe... (Ashura: And its wiser not to ask where she comes up with this stuff...) And yep, Mage will write other stories! Mage has a really neato one in mind that Mage will work on after Of Love and Rock! ^__^  
  
Ilona: Now do you really think I'd be that cruel? (Ashura, Trowa, Ai: ...yes.) ;~; I'm offended! How could I kill Rin-chan?  
  
Cricket-chan: I'm with you I.G O___o;;;;  
  
Smiley-chan: Heh Oo; And I'm posting the one shot this Friday, Oct. 10... I need some time to proofread and junk...  
  
SaiyanPrincess33: Yay! Kouga! XD Nu, I dont watch wrestling Oo; really... da carotherses must diieeeee... ;;; *puts on an army helmet and plots* heh... yay for Leggy!  
  
Sakie: Heh, I thought it would have been obvious... ^^; Oh well... heh... XD I do that to my Sesshy plushie sometimes... its my own, meh precioussssnessss... Heh...  
  
LewsTherinInsanity: ^^;;; Yay... Oohhh ramen... I'm hungry now ;;;  
  
lunar mirror: XD I know how you feel... I have 3 cats of my own that yowl at me when I forget to feed them Oo; They cant leave me aloonnnneeee! e_e;;;  
  
And thanks to:  
  
Cookie6  
  
ladyofthedragons1  
  
fireash  
  
lady-sess  
  
chaotic_cloud  
  
milacute04  
  
pensquared  
  
Bishoen Huntress  
  
Charroum  
  
hush  
  
===============================================  
  
Rin yawned and stretched, feeling a bit too warm. She looked over at her boyfriend's sleeping face and rolled out of the armchair they had been sleeping in. Glancing up at the clock, she saw it was almost 3 AM.  
  
She licked her dry lips and looked towards the kitchen. A cold glass of water would be good right about now.  
  
Rin walked quietly through the house and into the kitchen. The tile was cold against her bare feet. She took a glass from the cabinet and pressed it against the ice dispenser thingy on the fridge. She then filled the glass with water from the other thing, half-asleep. She didnt notice the figure creeping in from the other side.  
  
~*~  
  
He grinned as he leapt off the roof. How convenient... The stupid girl was right where he wanted her. Now she would pay for her foolish mistake. A bottle and a rag were withdrew from his pockets. It was time.  
  
~*~  
  
Rin's eyes snapped open. She could have SWORN she heard someone's footsteps, just behind her. She relaxed though. 'I probably just woke up Sess... He's going to try to scare me, I know it...' She took a sip of her water and set the glass down on the counter.   
  
Arms snaked around her waist and she smiled without turning around. "Sess, I know its you..."  
  
He didnt answer. His arms moved higher, around her shoulders.  
  
"Sess, you can say something now... Joke's over, ha ha, very funny!" Rin frowned. What was he trying to pull?  
  
The arms pulled her against a firm, bare chest. His hand moved over her mouth, covering it with a rag and pulling her head back roughly against her shoulder. Wide brown eyes met narrow crimson and she gasped.  
  
"You arent--uughhh..." She fainted against the man. He had drugged her; chloroform.  
  
"You're damn right I aint your precious Sesshy." The man said sinisterly, lips twisting into an evil smirk. He hoisted the girl's small body over his shoulder and carried her limp form out to a waiting black van. Climbing inside, he nodded to the driver and the vehicle sped off down the street.  
  
~*~  
  
"Rin!" Sesshoumaru called out happily. There she was, in a flowing white dress, standing amidst a field of flowers. She was smiling at him, motioning for him to come to her.  
  
So he ran. He ran as quickly as he could, but she never got any closer. "RIN!" Her form slowly drifted back, away from him... The field of beautiful flowers faded into a black oblivion. There was nothing above him, nothing below him, just blackness. Everywhere, blackness.  
  
She slowly began to fade away, til she was nothing but a transparent vision. Sesshoumaru heard evil, echoing laughter, saw a pair of giant crimson eyes on the horizon...  
  
Rin completely vanished then, brown eyes wide with terror, silently screaming for help...  
  
"RIN!!!" Sesshoumaru shot up in a cold sweat, golden eyes wide. It was... just a nightmare, yes, just a nightmare. "What the...?" He stared in confusion at the empty spot beside him. Where was Rin?  
  
He looked around the room. There were Inuyasha, curled up like a cat on the sofa with Kagome; Bankotsu and Jakotsu sprawled on the carpet in a tangle of limbs; Miroku groping Sango in his sleep, and Sango smacking Miroku in her sleep... No Rin in sight...  
  
'Maybe she just... went to the bathroom, or to get a drink... She'll be back any minute now... I shouldnt worry so much...' He leaned back against the chair back and sighed.  
  
Tonight had been the first time since he was a child that he had had a nightmare. That was strange...  
  
He sighed again, watching both entrances to the living room sleepily. Rin should be back any minute now, then he could reassure himself that nothing was wrong with her and they could just go to sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru waited for 10 minutes. By now he was pacing the living room, stepping over a sleeping body every now and then. He had a really bad feeling about all this, deep down... He just KNEW something was wrong.  
  
'Okay, I'm going to go check on her...' He dashed down the hall to the bathroom and knocked on the closed door. "Rin?"  
  
No answer.  
  
He knocked a bit harder. "Rin, you there?" STILL no answer. So he opened the door... No Rin.  
  
He went to the kitchen next. Empty.  
  
So Sesshoumaru did something he never usually would do. He panicked. Dashing to the keypad located just by the door in the entrance way, his eyes darted over it. The alarm system had been shut down. Someone had broken in. And that same someone... had taken Rin.  
  
~*~  
  
When Rin finally came to, she had no clue where she was. There was duct tape over her mouth; when she tried to remove it, she found her arms and legs were tied to a chair.  
  
Glancing around, she determined that she was in a warehouse of some sort. The floors were hard, cold, dirty under her still-bare feet; boxes and crates were stacked along the walls, the whole place smelled a bit like oil.  
  
"I see you're awake." A cold, calm voice stated from somewhere above her, to her left. Turning her head, she could barely make out the outline of a man with long, wavy black hair. He wore no shirt, just dark pants.   
  
Rin's eyes widened. Was it...? Could it really be him?... Honey brown orbs filled with fear as they met with crimson. She tried to speak, but the duct tape wouldnt allow it.  
  
"Yuki, take the tape off our... guest..." The man said coolly. Rin shivered at the way he said 'guest'.  
  
"HAIIII MONKEY-MAN! ^__^" A hyper-active younger girl in a black leather jacket and tough-girl, biker outfit skipped out from behind some boxes. "Lalalalala! Taking the tape off the pritty girl! Yayayayaya!" She sang happily, ripping the silvery duct tape from Rin's mouth. Rin winced.   
  
"OW! DAMN!"  
  
The girl known as Yuki giggled. "Bad bad Rin-chan! Watch your mouth young lady!" Still giggling, she skipped back to where she came from. The man rolled his eyes.  
  
"Good help is SO hard to find these days... And Yuki?"  
  
"Haihai Monkey-man-sama?"  
  
"DONT CALL ME MONKEY-MAN!"  
  
"Who the hell are you?" Rin's veins coursed with anger. If this was who she thought he was...  
  
"Have you forgotten me already? Ah yes, its been over two years since I was dating your late cousin Kikyo... My name is Naraku, Naraku Miyazaki." He leapt down gracefully from the boxes and stood in her line of sight.  
  
"M-Miyazaki?..." Wasnt that Kagura's last name? Were these two related?  
  
"Yes. A murderer. Wanted for the deaths of my two younger brothers Goshinki and Muso, and your cousin and my ex-girlfriend Kikyo." He studied his nails, almost boredly.  
  
"Why did you kill her? WHY DID YOU KILL KIKYO?!" Rin yelled, voice full of fury.  
  
"She was a pest. She wouldnt stop calling me after I dumped her. So I put her out of the picture." He smirked cruelly, studying his fingernails.  
  
"YOU BASTARD!!"  
  
"I know, I know." He sounded extremely bored.  
  
"What do you want with me?..."  
  
"I heard you had been giving my sister Kagura a bit of a hard time at school, so during your date at the movies, I tried to kill you. Of course, Sesshoumaru just HAD to interfere. So now I have to kill you once and for all, because... for the victims of Naraku Miyazaki, death is inevitable. Plus it wouldnt look good on my record if you got away, now would it?"  
  
Rin was afraid now. He was going to kill her, right here. She couldnt get her mind off Sesshoumaru, and the life they should have had together; the wedding they should have had, the family they should have had...  
  
None of that would ever be...  
  
~*~  
  
"GET UP!!" Sesshoumaru yelled, standing in the middle of the living room. No response, other than a few sleepy groans. He growled. Those idiots! Rin had been kidnapped and they were just SLEEPING?!  
  
He went into the kitchen, grabbed a pot and metal spoon and began banging on it. "I SAID WAKE UP DAMN IT!"  
  
Jakotsu shot up, eyes wide. "WHERES THE FIRE?!"  
  
Bankotsu rolled over and muttered. "There is no fire dumbass..."  
  
"What the fuck is going on Sess?" Sango sat up, rubbing her eyes. Sesshoumaru glared.  
  
"Someone just broke in and now Rin's gone, thats whats going on!"  
  
"NANI?!" Kagome shot up and in a flash, was at Sesshoumaru's throat, trying to strangle him. "YOU JUST LET MY SISTER BE KIDNAPPED?!" He shoved her off angrily.  
  
"I didnt LET her be kidnapped stupid! Inuyasha, call the police. I'm going to go find her." He grabbed his jacket and put it on over his sleeping clothes, an old t-shirt and sweatpants, then slipped on his shoes.  
  
"I'm going with you." Bankotsu stated firmly, following.  
  
"Fine. Everyone else, stay here, near the phone. I've got my cell and I'll call you when I find where she is." Sess quickly took control of the situation, then headed out to his car. He and Bankotsu got into the jeep and pulled out, speeding down the road.  
  
~*~  
  
Naraku paced back and forth in front of the chair Rin was tied to, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hmm... Should I kill you quickly, or slowly, and torture you? Tough choice..."  
  
"I say you kill her slowly." A male voice came from a stack of crates shadowed in the corner. A man stepped out, one in all black with long grey hair.  
  
"But then the question is how to torture her?" Naraku looked at his bodyguard/henchman, awaiting an answer. "Any ideas Hitokiri?"  
  
"I can think of a few..." Hitokiri smirked, cold yellow-green eyes looking Rin up and down.  
  
"Do tell, do tell..."  
  
Rin was near shaking with fear. 'I dont wanna die, I dont wanna die! I'm too young to die! I havent lived a full life yet! Please dont let me dieeee! Sess... Please notice I'm gone soon... Til then... I'll have to stall for time... But how? Damn it! Think Rin, think!'  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru sped blindly down the road. He didnt know where he was going, but he had a feeling she was this way. He had decided to go with his gut instinct.  
  
"Where the hell are you going?!" Bankotsu shouted in confusion.  
  
"I dont know! Just trust me!" He shouted back.   
  
"Fine, whatever... If we get lost, its YOUR fault though."  
  
Sesshoumaru turned left, sharply. He had a vauge idea of where he was heading now, the old warehouses just outside of town. He had no idea how he knew she would be here; it was like... something was pulling him towards Rin... 'Hold on...' He thought. 'Rin, I'm coming!'  
  
~*~  
  
Naraku and Hitokiri sat on a crate, staring at Rin and discussing how they were going to kill her.  
  
"We could always hang her..." The silver-haired bodyguard stated.  
  
"Nah, a hanging is too... boring... I want something with blood..."  
  
"We could tie her to the wall and shoot her." Hitokiri shrugged.  
  
"Hm... That's original..." Naraku smirked a bit, a malicious fire dancing in his crimson eyes. "We should look at all our options first though."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
Rin listened in fear. There wasnt much else she COULD do at this point in time. The two sadistic murderers' discussion was seriously scaring her. She just wanted to break down and cry, but she wouldnt. 'I have to be strong... What would Sess do in a situation like this? Think Rin... Thinking will most likely end up saving your life...'  
  
"Maybe we should boil her alive." Naraku suggested.  
  
"In acid." Hitokiri added.  
  
"I like that..."  
  
"Yes..."  
  
Rin whimpered softly, almost inaudibly. 'No! Bad Rin! No panic! Panic bad!'  
  
"Hey, um... Since I'm gonna die anyway, I at least wanna die an interesting death... So.. maybe you should... um... watch some horror movies for ideas?" She asked meekly. If they went for her idea, it would at least buy her a couple hours time...  
  
"I like this girl..." Naraku snickered. "Too bad she has to die... Hitokiri, go get a tv, vcr, and lots of horror movies!"  
  
"Sure Naraku-sama. Any you particularly wanna see?" The other man stood, dusting off his black pants.  
  
"Yeah... Jeepers Creepers, and um... Final Destination, both of em, and all 7 Puppetmaster movies, and Death Factory."  
  
"Okay." He turned to leave, pulling on his coat.  
  
"And ah... Hitokiri?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Get the newest Chobits tape while youre out too..." He said softly, with shifty eyes. Hitokiri sweatdropped.  
  
"Sure thing boss." With a sweep of his cloak-like coat, the bodyguard left.  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]I cant write totally serious baddies... I just cant... Look how Ashura turned out o.o;;; *points*  
  
Ashura: --; whats wrong with me?  
  
Mage: My first description of you said you were pure freakin evil and killed for the love of killing!!! x____x You're far from that description Ashy-chan...  
  
Ashura: *sigh*  
  
Mage: Anyway, shameless advertising x___x If you want to, please R&R my newest one-shot, Love and Revenge? Its about Sesshoumaru's parents and how I think his mom died... I'm kinda proud of it... Its angsty...  
  
Oh, and a disclaimer thingy: I dont own Yuki, she's (c)Cloey Valentine (penname: cloeyvalentine). Hitokiri is (c)Daemon (his stories are on Forbidden Memories Group, and one on my account). Both are used with permission. So yeah... 


	27. Chapter 27

[AN]I bet you all thought i died... Well, no I'm very much alive! ^^ I've just been busy as hell, what with school, TSA, friends, and my newest semi-crush Gary... *giggles at the mere thought of Gary* he's so funny and nice...  
  
Ashura: He was SO flirting with you last night...  
  
Mage: And today at lunch ^__^ but no one really cares! So on to review responses!  
  
~~Review Responses~~  
  
fluffy fan: i told you I cant write serious baddies ; *nods*  
  
Paragorgon: Just put it this way, its a shoujo anime... Very girlie, but I still kinda like it... Chii was so sweet ^__^  
  
Liz.Q: XD that would be funny! too bad i've already finished writing this fic... ah well! there's always other fics... *evil giggle* mwahahahahahahaha...  
  
Shinnyu Kudzu: Heh, everyone says that XD Mwee... Why must serious baddies be so hard to write? e.e;;; *blinks at Ashura and Akarou and giggles* (Ashura: ^__^ *glomps/snuggles back* luff!) Anyway Oo really... I had no clue... Hitokiri isnt even my char so I wouldnt know XD Ohh you got the new shonen jump too? Yay! I saw that too! THAT WAS HILARIOUS! Poor Kenny XD XD XD  
  
Wakadori Ramen: I just plain dont like Naraku, thats why he's da baddie e.e;;; I thought he was cute at first (I guess I thought Kagewaki was cute though Oo) but then i saw him all slimy and gross looking and disliked him immediately...  
  
Super Buu: Ya, I know... This chapter's more serious though... (not completely serious, but more serious than the last...) Dont worry, no more suspense after this!  
  
Sakie: I know, I admire Hayao (sp? Oo) Miyazaki's work too... I luved Spirited Away ;~; but that was the first name that came to mind so... yeah... man on the moon... XD XD XD XD XD XD  
  
hush: um... sowwy? ^^ and yush, logic bad Oo;; and Mage thinks Mage will stick to her nice gory senseless horror movies and Adam Sandler comedies... (cant ya tell i'm f*cked up in the head? XD)  
  
SaiyanPrincess33: I didnt cry at that part, I laughed Oo; I always laugh when people die for some reason... and yes... I think the carotherses are also in league with Mukotsu (aka fat dumb and ugly) ;;;; Mwee... dude! XD i should do that sometime... now to find a one ring ring thingy...  
  
LewsTherinInsanity: yura's a slut Oo; heh... 4 hours?! holy shit... i cant even walk to the KFC two blocks from the mid-high with Brad for off-campus day without collapsing into a booth trying to catch my breath...  
  
Naoko2: yep, stupid stupid naraku... Blame the vanilla pepsi! *cries* Oo; okay i'm done... Dont worry, Sess-chan's going as fast as he possibly can ^^ Anyway, hope you like the fight scene...  
  
fireash: ^_^ I'm glad you appreciate my humor! *glomps*  
  
And thanks to:   
  
Tigerose08  
  
tikimoof  
  
Arika*  
  
pensquared  
  
Cricket-chan  
  
milacute04  
  
Noir12  
  
shanaka  
  
Lunar Mirror  
  
Charmed Angel  
  
ladyofthedragons1  
  
===============================================  
  
Sesshoumaru sped frantically down an almost abandoned street, towards the warehouses. It made sense that the kidnapper would bring her here; the area was secluded and few people ever came here anymore.  
  
"C'mon, Rin's here, I can feel it..." He parked the car out of sight, away from building C, but not too far away in case they needed to get away fast. He and Bankotsu leapt out of the Jeep and made their way to the building.  
  
"How do we get in without them seeing us? We cant just bust in and tell 'em to give us Rin..." Bankotsu stated, circumnavigating (vocabulary... the only good thing I've gotten out of english this year) the tall, dreary warehouse.   
  
"There wouldnt happen to be a back entrance, would there?" Sess asked, frowning.  
  
"I dont think so..." Bankotsu furrowed his eyebrows, studying the cold metal building. Then he saw it; a square hole at the top, just big enough for them to fit through. "We'll have to climb. Its the only way to get in undetected."  
  
"We cant dude, its too high..." Sess frowned. They'd never make it, he knew. It just wasnt possible.  
  
"Oh?" Bankotsu grinned, motioning towards the huge crane and stack of crates in the background.  
  
~*~  
  
Hitokiri had returned with the movies and television, and now the two baddies sat against crates, watching Final Destination 2; they hadnt had 1 at 2001 Video.  
  
Rin watched them anxiously, trying not to make too much noise as she rubbed the ropes binding her wrists against the rough edge of the chair, hoping the friction would be enough to burn the ropes off her.  
  
She just prayed they would watch all of those movies before they decided how to kill her...  
  
'Sess... Whats taking you so long?... Come with the police soon... Onegai...'  
  
~*~  
  
"Are you sure you can work this thing?" Sess asked, standing inside the cab of the crane behind Bankotsu, who was studying the controls intently.  
  
"No."  
  
"Whaddaya mean no?!"  
  
"I dont know how to work it."  
  
"Then what are you doing?!"  
  
"Working it."  
  
Sess anime fell. "Youre confusing... Even more confusing than Suikotsu when he starts talking to himself..."  
  
"Shaddup and lemme concentrate..." Bankotsu tenatively pulled down on a lever, which moved the large crane device. "Cool!"   
  
He soon figured out how to drop the claw, pick up crates, and was now stacking them like a pyramid, just under the hole in the warehouse wall.  
  
"Hey... Isnt it kinda suspicious that they dont have any guards or thugs around?" Sess asked, gazing over the area. Not a person in sight.  
  
A strangled cry filled the area, and Sess jumped.  
  
"Nani?!"  
  
Bankotsu grinned sheepishly. "I think I just took out one of their thugs..." Sess glanced down at the ground, only to see a man with a large crate that had fallen on his leg.  
  
He wouldnt stop screaming but... surprisingly, no one came to his rescue.  
  
"Argh! Hurry up Ban, Rin's in danger!"  
  
"Hai, hai!"  
  
~*~  
  
Rin could faintly hear a man screaming outside. Naraku and Hitokiri remained oblivious though, now watching a Children of the Corn movie that Hitokiri had picked up for himself.  
  
She continued rubbing on the ropes though, getting desperate. What was taking him so long?! Why hadnt anyone noticed she was gone?! Or maybe... they had noticed, but no one could find her...  
  
'Damn it!' She cursed mentally. 'Well if he cant save me, I'll have to save myself... I sure aint dying any time soon...'  
  
So Rin's persistant grating of ropes against the rough edge of the chair continued while her two captors were distracted.  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru climbed quickly up the stack of crates, closely followed by Bankotsu. 'I'm comin Rin... Dont worry...' At the top, he looked through the squarish hole cut in the tin and looked down.  
  
It was dark inside the warehouse, except for a slightly flickering, television-like light off to the left. The whole place was a maze of shadowed crates, but in the dim light source, he could see a girl tied to a chair. "Rin... She's down there..." He whispered.  
  
"Really? Dude, you were right..." Bankotsu looked through the hole, blinking in amazement.   
  
"Bankotsu, go find some metal bars or something... We're gonna need weapons, I'm going on in..."  
  
"Right." The dark-haired boy fleeted down the stack of crates and into the night. Sess climbed through the hole and pulled himself onto one of the ceiling support beams.  
  
'I hate heights... Dont look down...' He thought, crawling along the beam towards where Rin was tied up.  
  
"Oh! Lets run her over with a tractor!" Naraku grinned.  
  
"Um... Naraku-sama... We dont have a tractor..." Hitokiri pointed out, blinking.  
  
"Oh yeah... Well, I'm sick of waiting. Lets just shoot her."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. He had to get Rin out of there... He sat on the beam and did the only thing he could do to distract the two... Sess took off his shoe and chucked it at Naraku's head.  
  
~*~  
  
"THE HELL?!" Naraku screamed, rubbing the spot where the flying shoe had hit. "WHOS IN HERE?!"  
  
"I see him boss!" Hitokiri withdrew his gun from an inside pocket and aimed at Sesshoumaru. Rin's eyes widened.  
  
"SESS!"  
  
"Ughh..." Both Hitokiri and his gun clattered to the ground, and behind him stood Bankotsu, a short metal pole in each hand.  
  
"Baka."  
  
"Bankotsu!" Rin shouted in happiness. They had come for her!  
  
Naraku growled. Those stupid teenagers were ruining his plans!  
  
"YUKI!" He yelled. "GET THE INTRUDER!"  
  
Yuki skipped out from behind a crate. "Whats an intruder? ^^"  
  
"THAT!" He pointed to Bankotsu. "Now get it!"   
  
"But he looks nice! ^^"  
  
Naraku slapped his forehead. Good help was just SO hard to find these days... "Fine, I'll do it myself." He pulled out his own gun and aimed at Bankotsu. A resounding BANG echoed off the tin walls.  
  
But there was no blood, no scream of agony. Bankotsu had leapt to the side.   
  
"Yuki! Hurt the guy with the braid and I'll give you a jolly rancher!" Naraku yelled out angrily. Yuki beamed and yanked away one of Bankotsu's metal poles, accidentally knocking him upside the head.  
  
"BANKOTSU!" Both Sess and Rin yelled.  
  
"Yay! Ohhh shiny..." She skipped off to play with it then. Oo;  
  
Naraku growled loudly as Sesshoumaru appeared before him. The silver-haired teenager grabbed the metal pole from Bankotsu's limp hand and lunged at Naraku.  
  
It was a blur of fists and metal as the two fought furiously. Naraku was taking the most blows though; he wasnt as agile as Sesshoumaru.  
  
Meanwhile, Rin leapt out of the chair as the ropes binding her wrists slithered to the ground, having been cut off. "Finally!" Honey-brown eyes darted around frantically, searching for something she could use to stop Naraku.  
  
~*~  
  
Naraku landed a well placed blow to Sesshoumaru's face, knocking him backwards, gun still clutched in one hand. Sess staggered, dazed from the punch.  
  
"You know, you've REALLY annoyed me. So I'm going to make you watch your precious girlfriend suffer!" He turned, stalking towards the frightened and confused Rin.  
  
He wrapped an arm around her, pointing the barrel of the gun to her temple and smirked cruelly.  
  
The silver-haired teenager growled. "Dont hurt her! Dont you dare touch Rin!"  
  
Rin began to shake slightly, fear coursing through her body. She couldnt move, couldnt speak. Her lips moved, no words would come. She mouthed, 'I love you.' gazing at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes.  
  
"Rin..." He took a step forward. "Dont hurt her, please! I'll do anything!"  
  
"Would you be willing to give your life for hers?" Naraku's eyes glistened with sadistic pleasure.  
  
"Y-yes, just dont hurt her!" Sess briefly glanced over Naraku's shoulder and saw a groggy Bankotsu rising to his feet. 'Just a few more seconds... Just gotta stall a few more seconds...'  
  
The dark-haired man's cruel laughter filled the warehouse, echoed off the tin walls. "What a fool! You know, love always ends in tragedy like this." He took the gun from Rin's temple and pointed it right at Sesshoumaru's heart.   
  
"Not always you bastard!" Bankotsu, having regained his senses, yelled out, knocking Naraku to his feet. The gun flew from his hand and clattered to the cold floor.  
  
Rin leapt over the bastard and picked up the small pistol, holding it in shaking hands. "You... You bastard... You took Kikyo's life... You would have taken mine... You would have taken Sesshoumaru's even! The one that means the most to me!" Breathing heavily, she began to slowly pull the trigger.  
  
"THIS IS FOR EVERYONE YOU'VE EVER HURT!" Her eyes squeezed shut and her head turned to the side as she fired off the gun. The BANG! rang in her ears, as well as Bankotsu's and Sesshoumaru's.  
  
There was a small hole in Naraku's skull. Blood poured from the wound and pooled about his body. Rin had... actually shot him...  
  
The gun droppped from her hand and clattered to the cold, dirty floor. Bankotsu stood in shock, and Sesshoumaru immediately ran to his girlfriend as she passed out on the spot.  
  
Picking her up bridal style, he sat on a crate, holding her. He never believed she would actually do it... His innocent Rin actually killed someone... Someone who would have killed the both of them, but she had killed someone nonetheless...  
  
Sess took his cell phone from his pocket and dialed 911 with slightly shaking hands.  
  
~*~  
  
Later that night, a small clustered group of teenagers were seen standing outside an abandoned warehouse, which had been taped off with yellow police tape.  
  
Patrol cars were parked in the area and policemen bustled about the scene of the crime.  
  
Sesshoumaru held Rin tighter against him. She held the ends of his jacket together in front of her body, guarding them both from the chill of the November night.  
  
Rin hadnt spoken since she had awakened. Now Kagome, Sesshoumaru, Jakotsu, Bankotsu, and everyone else feared the worse. They feared that she would be mute again; they were afraid she'd be charged with murder...  
  
The girl kept seeing that horrible scene in her mind, replaying over and over like a video. She'd never forget that moment, she knew.  
  
Images of Naraku, dead, her dropping the gun, fainting at the sight of the blood... These images flooded her mind, wouldnt leave her alone...  
  
Jakotsu, Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Kagome all stood silently, staring at the warehouse, trying to digest the fact that innocent Rin had actually killed someone...  
  
A uniformed officer approached the shocked and scared group, looking them over with warm eyes.  
  
"Rin Higurashi?" Rin looked up at the officer, nodding once. The officer continued. "We're not sure about it, but I dont think any charges are going to be pressed against you. The authorities might even thank you. Naraku Miyazaki was a total lunatic; wanted for killing two of his youngest brothers and for killing one of his ex-girlfriends. We also believe he was the one that attempted to murder you at the theater that one night. Even if he were still alive, he would have gotten the death penalty almost for sure." He smiled a little, trying to cheer the girl up.  
  
"I wouldnt worry Ms. Higurashi."  
  
~*~  
  
A small car pulled up 10 minutes later. Hiten and a sad Kagura climbed out. Kagura was holding a small, silver-haired toddler tightly in her arms.  
  
She was informed by the police what had happened and hugged Hakudoshi tighter to her chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Hiten wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort the poor girl and the scared little boy.  
  
Rin looked at them, a tear making its way down her cheek. Gulping with nervousness, she approached Kagura.  
  
"K-Kagura... I... I'm so sorry..."  
  
"No... R-Rin... A-as much as I hate to... to admit it... N-Naraku-niisama was..." She took a calming breath. "He was... mentally unstable... He was beyond help at this p-point in time... I just... I wish he could have gotten help... before it was too... too late..." She buried her face into Hiten's chest, her tears never ceasing.  
  
"It... it still cant erase th-the fact that... that I killed him..." Rin whispered the last part.  
  
"I... I forgive you... Anyone in... your position would have done the same thing..." Kagura's voice was muffled by Hiten's shirt.  
  
"C'mon Kagura-chan... I'll take you and Hakudoshi home, okay?... It'll be okay, I promise..." Hiten gently raised her chin so her eyes met his, and softly kissed her.  
  
Rin smiled slightly through her own tears. Hiten almost reminded her of Sesshoumaru just then, what with his tenderness.  
  
"Okay Hiten... Thank you..."  
  
"Yah... T'ank you Hiten-niisama..." Hakudoshi reached out with tiny arms to hug the dark-haired boy.  
  
Rin returned to Sesshoumaru, and he drew her into his arms once more, sighing softly.  
  
"That was the man that killed your cousin?... That Naraku?..." He asked softly, so only she could hear. She nodded sadly.  
  
"Hai..."  
  
"Its all over... This horrible ordeal is finally over..."  
  
"Yeah... Sess?..."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Thank you... For always being here for me... I love you so much..."  
  
"I love you too Rin, I love you too..."  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]I reeeeeally hope this chapter was better than the last... I tried to be serious, really I did! ;~; Anyway, a note on Of Love and Rock: I've got MAJOR writers block, so I might not be updating that for a while... I'll try to conquer the evil thing though! *grabs brother's inuyasha costume and plastic tetsusaiga and goes to defeat writers block Oo* 


	28. Chapter 28

Rin stared up at the stage in the auditorium, honey-brown eyes full of pride and happiness. A camcorder was perched on her shoulder, and she was grinning almost stupidly, filming the rows of high school graduates in those blue robes and weird hat thingies.  
It was Sesshoumaru's graduation day, and right now, the principal was handing out diplomas. Rin, Inuyasha, Sango, and Ayame sat in the audience; they were all a year younger than the others. On Rin's left sat Inutaisho, then Mitsuko, and on her right was Mrs. Higurashi and Souta. In the row ahead was Ayame, Inuyasha, and Sango. Shippo and Souten should have been there, but no one had seen them all day.  
Up on stage, Rin could see Sesshoumaru clearly, standing in the very center. Surrounding him was Jakotsu, Bankotsu, Kagome, Kouga, Miroku, Kagura, Hiten, and all the other graduates.  
As the principal called out names of people Rin didnt know, her mind wandered to what had happened since November, since that day.  
The group had learned of Kagura's home life, and now they were all on speaking terms at least; not exactly friends, but far from hating each other. Kagura and her brothers were getting psychiatric help, their mother was in rehab and doing better every day.  
Rin had seen a psychiatrist a few months ago also, but she had recovered a bit more quickly. No charges had been filed against her.  
Life was great for all of them actually. Rin almost laughed aloud as she remembered the previous Christmas, when she had finally met Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's parents. Inutaisho and Mitsuko had taken a liking to her immediately, and had gushed over how Sesshoumaru had made a good decision in choosing Rin as his girlfriend.  
Inutaisho had tormented Rin and Sesshoumaru, and Kagome and Inuyasha all that day with mistletoe, his hearty laugh filling the mansion.  
Rin snapped out of her thoughts as the principal, Mr. Justus, called Sesshoumaru up to get his diploma and make a speech.  
Yes, that's right... Sesshoumaru was valedictorian.  
Rin almost burst with pride as he stepped up to the podium, smiling and taking his diploma. She stood to get a better shot of her boyfriend, making sure not to miss a minute of his speech.  
Sess began speaking. Rin already knew what he was going to say; she had practically memoriezed his well-thought out speech. He had only rehearsed it in front of her a million times!  
When his speech ended, Sesshoumaru earned a loud round of applause. By then, the diplomas had all been given out, and Rin had taped the whole thing.  
Suddenly, there was a loud POP! Something above the stage burst, spilling confetti and balloons with "Congrats You Guys!" written on them. Remote control airplanes with congratulation banners weaved in and out through the rows of filled seats.  
Rin burst into laughter, as did most others. Two grinning 8th graders waved down at everyone from the audience, seated in the catwalks. Shippo and Souten.  
"I should have known they'd pull something like this!" Ayame shouted, giggling uncontrollably.  
They could see Shippo messing with something, and suddenly V6's Change the World blared through the speakers, filling the auditorium with upbeat music.  
Rin almost shrieked with excitement. This was definately a graduation to remember!  
A laughing Sesshoumaru leapt off the stage and pushed through the crowd of people, diploma clutched in one hand. Rin handed the camcorder to Inutaisho and met Sesshoumaru half-way, hugging him tightly.  
"Ohh Sess! I'm so proud of youuu! My boyfriend, top of the class"  
He lifted her into the air by her waist and spun her around in a broad circle, kissing her when her feet touched the ground.  
"So how do you feel Mr. Valedictorian?" Inutaisho asked, chuckling as he taped the whole scene. It was rather comical, seeing Sess like that: flushed with excitement, eyes glittering with happiness, and multi-colored confetti dotting his silver hair.  
"I feel great Dad! I'm going to college next year"  
"WE are going to college next year!" Jakotsu and Bankotsu jogged up, grinning. And it was true. The three boys had been accepted into several colleges, and were having a bit of a hard time choosing.  
"Hey! Line up for a picture everybody!" Mrs. Higurashi shouted, digital camera in hand. Everyone lined up against the maroon painted wall, Sess and Rin in the center with their arms around each other, Jakotsu and Bankotsu to the left giving each other bunny ears with their fingers, Inuyasha and Kagome to the right of Sess and Rin, holding hands and making peace signs; Miroku was on the other side of Ja and Ban, holding Sango bridal style, Kouga and Ayame were on the other side of Inuyasha and Kagome holding hands with their arms raised in victory, and Shippo and Souten popped up behind everyone just as the picture was being taken.  
Both Rin and Sesshoumaru knew they would never forget that day, posing for the picture, with inspirational music playing in the background.  
Sess also knew he'd have to go out of state to college when it started up after this summer; knew he'd have to leave Rin for a while, but he tried to forget about that. Today, and every day for the rest of this summer, he was going to spend his time with her.  
"Oi! Party at my place!" Shippo shouted suddenly, followed by a cheerful "Yeah!" from Souten.  
Rin flopped back onto the couch at Shippo's place with a glass of punch, laughing. Inuyasha and Miroku were currently trying their hand at karaoke, singing Just Communication as a dare from Bankotsu.  
"Man, you guys really suck at singing!" Souten managed to say through her giggles as she chucked a pretzel at Inuyasha.  
"Hey, lets let the girls go up next!" Kouga suddenly suggested. "Ayame, Rin, Sango, Kagome, and Souten"  
"Heyyy! No fair!" Sango chucked an empty sprite can at him. "You know I cant sing"  
Miroku put on his infamous puppy dog eyes. "Please Sango-chan? For me"  
"Argh! Fine"  
Chuckling, Inuyasha hooked up microphones to the karaoke machine and sat on the couch, as did the other guys.  
The girls gathered around the machine and whispered to each other. "So what should we sing?" Souten asked.  
"I dunno, something inspirational..." Rin replied, thinking.  
"Stand Up?" Kagome suggested.  
"Sounds good!" Souten chirped.  
"Okay then!" Sango shrugged, and popped in the tape. The girls formed a line, with Souten in the center, since she was the shortest, then Rin and Sango on either side of her, and then Kagome and Ayame on either side of them, and the song began.  
"Great!" Jakotsu grinned, turning off Rin's camcorder. He had caught the whole thing on tape... "I'll send you all copies"  
"Jakotsu you rat!" Souten screeched, trying not to laugh. "You didnt tell us you were taping it"  
"How could I have resisted?" He snickered. "The camcorder was just lying right there"  
"Get him girls!" Kagome cried out, giggling. All five tackled the poor boy and began messing up his black hair, tossing the clip that held it aside.  
Sesshoumaru nearly doubled over in laughter as Jakotsu emerged from the dogpile, looking like a family of rats had nested in his hair. Inuyasha snickered and pointed, Miroku chuckled quietly, Shippo had his face buried in a couch pillow to keep from going into hysterics, and Kouga was beginning to turn blue from laughter. First the girls singing J-pop, and now this! Yes, these were good times, that was for sure.  
ANUm... THE END! D 


End file.
